Saturdays with the Ice Queen
by jan.rover
Summary: One moment he was simply sitting on a bench,the next thing he knew he was shopping with the ICe Queen every Saturday.A bad idea, but would a year of doing it change his mind? A RukaRu fic.Credits to Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom—a great book.R&R! :D
1. Chapter 1

**Saturdays with the Ice Queen**

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><p>AN: Hey, there! Have you ever read Tuesdays with MOrrie by Mitch Albom? No? Go READ it! It's really, really, really, good! That's where I got the inspiration in writing this story. Well, the title says it all, but every chapter is supposed to revolve around a single core. Chapter1 is about...well, you guessed it: MONEY.

Okay, then, here it is.  
>I hope you'll enjoy it. If not, then let me know alright? R&amp;R everyone! :D<p>

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><p>Chapter 1: The First Saturday: <strong>M O N E Y<strong>

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><p>"Hotaru!"<p>

The raven-haired Alice stopped on her tracks, pulling out her gun just in time when she turned to see her best friend throwing herself to her.

BAKA! BAKA! BAKA! BAKA!

There was a quiet pause as the smoke from Hotaru Imai's Baka gun v.5.109 subsided, and she raised an eyebrow when Mikan miraculously got to her feet and stuck a tongue at her. Sure enough, humans develop a perfect self-preservation thing when subjected to danger repeatedly over the years. The Alice genius's eyebrow twitched. Was that fact for humans or animals? There were times she honestly doubted what category her bestfriend falls.

"You're so mean, Hotaru!"

"What're you yelling about, baka?"

Almost as fast as Mikan recovered, her annoyed expression switched to a happy grin as she hooked their arms. "Nothing. I just missed you."

Hotaru smirked, for no exact reason at all. Since Mikan and the Black Cat got together, moments like this weren't so often as they were before. It's not like she got completely forgotten—she'd kill Hyuuga Natsume if that happens—it's just that Mikan's world revolves around another entity, not just hers anymore.

"It's Saturday." Hotaru suddenly said, her face calm and indifferent as usual. "I bet you're going out again."

Even as years had passed, Mikan still found herself blushing at the statement. "Uh, yes." She replied, then leaned closer to Hotaru as she grinned. "You?"

"What me?" A hand went to Mikan's face. "Get your stinky breath away from my face, idiot."

Mikan frowned, and then managed a really annoying shrewd smile. "Aren't you gonna go out with someone today?"

BAKA! BAKA! BAKA! BAKA!

"Oh, look. There's your prince." Hotaru casually blew the smoke from her gun and kept it away before Mikan could throw herself on her again. Then her eyebrow twitched. "Your princes, I mean."

"Two?" Mikan got up to her feet, looked around, and immediately forgot her injuries. "Oh, it's Ruka-pyon." She turned to the two guys few yards away from them and waved.

Hotaru Imai watched the two guys as she and Mikan took their time walking. Hyuuga Natsume was looking at them, his hands shoved on his pants. The other guy was sitting on the bench in front of her bestfriend, looking quite flustered as the Black Cat muttered something and smirked.

It was quiet for a moment, and Hotaru Imai almost appreciated it if not for the smile creeping up on Mikan's face. "What now, Baka?"

Biting her gum, Mikan couldn't help but break into a wide grin. "Ruka-pyon's your prince, Hotaru, not mine."

And Hotaru found herself regretting that she listened. "Do you want to get hit again?"

"No! B-but…" Death glares. Mikan stuck another tongue at her before looking away again. She paused; and when Hotaru's glares died, looked back to her bestfriend again. "I just think it's so fitting."

"Shut up."

Mikan sighed and looked away. It was quiet for a moment, both of them sorting their thoughts as they took no hurry walking towards the two guys. Hotaru thought about what Mikan meant, and dropped it immediately like some explosive. Those things weren't her greatest concerns now that they're only a year before graduating. Her future's knock on the door's getting louder and louder; and as much as possible, she couldn't waste a neuron for anything other than that.

Mikan glanced at her ever so quiet bestfriend, leaned closer to her face, and smiled. "I just want you to know Hotaru…" She said, enough for both of them to hear. "If I were to choose a guy whom I'd trust you with, it will be Ruka-pyon."

Hotaru met the brunette's chocolate brown eyes, paused, and blinked.

BAKA! BAKA! BAKA! BAKA!

This time though, Mikan kissed the ground longer than she did the previous attack. They were now a couple of meters away from where the guys were, and Natsume stared at the poor Alice sprawled on the ground. He glanced at the Ice Queen. "Nice job."

For just a second her eyes met the blonde's blue ones and Mikan's words echoed in her mind again. '…_it will be Ruka-pyon'_ ––"Her virus is getting stronger." Hotaru muttered, looking away.

"Oww, Hotaru!" Mikan shot up to her feet. "You really shouldn't hit people like that!" As if to prove how fast her recovery is, she turned and stuck a tongue at the Black Cat. "And I heard what you just said, Natsume!" Then before she could forget, she turned to the blond guy sitting on the bench, a small smile on his face. "Oh, hi, Ruka-pyon!"

Ruka smiled. "Hello, Mikan."

"You really don't need to shout, idiot."

Mikan pouted at her bestfriend, and started to babble about endless things and this and that.

Ignoring the brunette, Natsume turned to Ruka. "We'll go now."

"Okay."

"Come on, Polka."

"And you shouldn't be—wh-what?" Mikan blinked, refocusing on the now impatient Natsume. "Where are we going?" But Natsume was already pulling her away, not saying anything. Managing to look back to the two they left alone, Hotaru was slightly surprised when Mikan waved at the blond instead. "Hey, Ruka-pyon! Take care of Hotaru for me, alright?"

It was completely quiet now. The wind blew and everything in the high school ground seemed resting. Ruka could still feel the blood on his face as he watched Mikan and Natsume walk away, Mikan's last statement echoing in his skull as though in a cave. It was cool and shady, an unusual afternoon, he figured. And he proved himself right when the Ice Queen turned to him.

They just stared at each other for a moment, eyes boring down on the other. Ruka gulped, feeling the shiver down his spine. He'd known Hotaru Imai for years now; she'd become an acquaintance, a friend. But there's always been some kind of invisible wall around her that makes her invulnerable—something that somehow makes her off limits.

But now as he looked into her eyes, he felt like he's being watched by some foreign entity and he couldn't do something about it. Patiently waiting, he watched her mouth gracefully move as she spoke. "Let's go."

"W-where are we...?"

"You're taking care of me this afternoon, right?"

His voice seemed stuck on his throat as he digested her words. What was he supposed to say at that anyway? Either because he lost control of his own body with the bombardment of his brain by her statement, or because he simply didn't have any choice at all, he stood up. Hotaru Imai's eyebrow twitched, quite surprised when she didn't hear a tinge of protest, and her smirk seemed to widen a bit.

Or maybe it was just his imagination.

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><p>He had no idea how he got himself to this, as he walked beside the Ice Queen, he had a weird feeling telling him it was a bad idea. He sighed. It's so not like he had a choice. Looking at the brighter side, it's not like it's the first time he'd shop with her…well, thinking about it, he gulped when he realized it was indeed the first time he'd shop with her without Mikan, or Natsume, or the others. Like…alone with her. But he couldn't just back down, now, could he?<p>

The Ice Queen stopped on the first store, and he almost tripped on her when he didn't notice. Clearing his throat, he looked up. "MCHL Electronics." He mumbled almost absentmindedly, and immediately followed when Hotaru went inside.

The store was empty with costumers, but filled with things like…well, he really didn't know what they were. There was one that looked like an empty box made of metal—maybe it's some sort of chassis or something. There were wounds of wires and jacks and other things he couldn't recognize hanging on the wall. It was pretty packed, the store, and he wondered how Imai could actually know what to buy.

Hotaru went to the counter, pulling out a list. He could've just stayed there on his spot, quiet and waiting, but then he found himself walking closer to stand beside her. She didn't even glance at him, but if it wasn't his imagination, he noticed her stiffen. But the tables were reversed when the Ice Queen pulled out a few hundreds from a thick bundle of money from her bag, and as much as he tried to avoid it, Ruka Nogi found himself staring. When she met his eyes for a second, he immediately looked away, casually clearing his throat. Hotaru folded the cash neatly, and pulled out her list again. She could almost feel his eyes on her as she stared at piece of paper. The blond had grown a lot taller over the years, and now she had to literally look up to him just to send the daggers.

"Spit it out, Bunny Boy."

He blinked, feeling the blood run up to his face. "I-I was just wondering where…" He mumbled, trying to avoid her purple orbs as he sorted his thoughts. "Where you get so much money."

"Savings." Hotaru replied, looking back to the list. Suddenly a smirk crept up and she glanced at him before looking around the store. "And a whole lot from your pictures, of course."

First blow. Ruka bit his gum and tried to ignore what he just heard. "What're you going to buy anyway?" He was now looking at the things hanging across the counter when Hotaru literally rubbed the list on his face. "H-hey!"

Pulling it away, Hotaru stared at the piece of paper as if nothing happened. "I'll be needing lots of things." She muttered, as if speaking to herself instead. "Lots and lots of things so I can _work_ on you more efficiently."

Second blow. His eyebrows furrowed, and he couldn't help but look at her quickly as he processed that. "What?"

"New inventions." She turned to him, her face calm but her eyes obviously amused. "New business, probably. But pretty much centered on you, I guess. You're a classic bestseller, you know that?"

Last straw. It was good that there were other costumers because now he lost it. "We're a year away from graduation, a-and you're thinking of _another_ business strategy to make my life miserable?"

She blinked. "Pretty much."

Ruka Nogi felt the blood rushing up to his face in rage. "Haven't you gotten enough already?"

Hotaru stared at the now angry blond, thinking of the next thing he'd do. She honestly wasn't so affected with his outburst. At the back of her head, she was thinking about how beautiful he still looked even when turning red like an overripe tomato.

"Hello, Ms. Imai."

Both of them looked up at the bearded bulky man slowly approaching them. Ruka let out a labored sigh and looked away, still fuming. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his heart down. The man tapped the counter and seemed to pause when he looked at the blond. A father-ish smile suddenly crept up.

"Same orders?" He said, that smile still on as he turned to Hotaru, obviously unknowing of the _little_ scene before he came.

"Yes." She replied. "And this." She held out her list, pointing at one item and the other so calmly no one would think anything wrong.

The man nodded, looking at the list as if memorizing them. "Okay. We have them." Pushing the list back to her, he looked at Ruka, who tried his best not to look like a bullied kid. "It's nice to know someone finally comes here with Ms. Imai. She's been our number one costumer since you guys were ten, and she's always alone when she comes here, you know."

That wasn't supposed to cancel out his rage, but hearing it from another person felt somehow different. The blond opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it again.

"Michel." Hotaru suddenly cut in, finally breaking the awkwardness with her strictly business mode.

"Ah, yes." Michel smiled at her apologetically. "Please wait for a while."

"Thanks."

It was quiet now, the store's large ceiling fan humming. It really shouldn't have affected him, Michel's statement, but when he stood dumbfounded at that moment, all he could think about was Natsume's remark back on the bench while watching the best friends walking towards them. _I can read you like an open book, Ruka. You're starting to like her._ But then with all that's going on now, that's hardly true. He had no idea how Natsume thought about that; all he knew was that when Hotaru Imai blackmails him, his feeling is far from _liking_.

"Just so you know, Bunny boy." Hotaru broke the silence. "I'm not doing it simply to make your life miserable. My time is so precious to waste it for that reason alone."

"Then why does it feel like it?" He snapped, quickly looking at her.

She shrugged; her face nonchalant. "Then that's unfortunate."

Ruka thought about all the blackmailing he got from the Ice Queen; the chases and the yelling; the threats and death glares he received every time he managed to get the negatives. When the digital camera found its way to the market, and the negatives weren't necessary anymore, those were his worst times; Hotaru would simply flaunt his pictures every chance she had.

"Are you happy with that? Is money _that_ important?" He said, his temper not subsiding. "Like it's the only thing you can ever think about? To cause other people's distress because you simply _want _it? Money? Sometimes I wonder how greedy you can get."

Of course, he regretted it as soon as it came out of his mouth. He didn't really shout, he didn't need to; but he knew she heard it perfectly. Neither said anything for a while, and her silence made him wince.

Folding the piece of paper, Hotaru Imai crossed her arms on the counter nonchalantly. "Then I suppose you don't find it important." Her eyes flashed on him, and with the guilt welling up on him, her calm and cold eyes were the last thing he wanted now. "You sound like money doesn't matter. So you don't eat?" Ruka felt his face warming as he listened, completely dumbfounded. "I don't mind causing other people distress if that 'other people' is you. My reasons don't matter, and I don't owe you any explanation for my actions. And people get greedy, not just for money. And it is _that _important. Now if you think otherwise…" She paused, her stare unwavering. "…then educate me."

Ruka looked away, feeling ashamed and embarrassed and lost and confused and all other things.

"You don't know what to say because you were born rich."

His neck snapped at that as he quickly turned to her. "What?"

"I know things." She said, her face as emotionless as her voice. "And as it appears to me, you don't."

He was about to say something when Michel came back. "Here you go, Ms. Imai." He said, holding up the bags onto the counter with a quiet thud. "Come back again."

Pushing the cash towards Michel, Hotaru turned her heels without a word and went out of the store, leaving the flustered blond behind with the two heavy bags and a confused man. Michel turned to Ruka, who pursed his lips and quietly carried the bags and went out of the store.

The next few hours were torture. Hotaru would buy this and that, and then casually look at her list before turning to another store to buy things simply to make his load heavier. He was already carrying three bags of different weights, "more important than your life" kinds of things he couldn't afford not to be careful. Every moment of it was torture, plus the fact that he's doing it as a punishment for simply speaking out his mind. Did he really do something bad? Didn't he just…tell her how he really felt like, for years?

But then deep in his mind he knew it was somehow wrong, snapping at her like that. There was a tugging sensation in the pit of his stomach, and the bitter taste of guilt lingered in his mouth. He knew he did something wrong. And with this punishment, he figured that 'something wrong' was an understatement.

Sure, he had every right to hate her every time she would rub the embarrassing pictures in his face, but not once had he stopped to think about her reasons. Sure, she's greedy; she once said that 'money is the prime thing in the world', but what if she's not all that at all? Looking over the Alice quietly walking ahead of him, he found himself searching for answers, suddenly trying to understand. Mustering all that's left of his courage, Ruka found his voice and turned to her.

"Do you…a-always spend this much?" He paused, glancing away for the second when she met his eyes. "I-I mean, for your inventions."

Hotaru didn't say anything for a moment. Looking back to her list, she wondered why Ruka Nogi suddenly cared—after insulting ranting about his miserable life. Ruka gulped back his curiosity, thinking that maybe he shouldn't be asking things after insulting her.

Just when he was about to look away, Hotaru replied. "Yes."

He blinked.

"Usually more, when I try to make a really good one."

"Your inventions are all good."

Either to make sure if he's joking or simply messing up with her, Hotaru risked a glance and she saw the innocent glint in his eyes as he looked away and dropped the subject. She knew how good all her inventions are, but she just didn't know how well it sounded when he said it. She perfectly knew he was simply trying to make up for his rude feat back in Michel's store, but though she hated to admit, that compliment didn't sound like any she'd ever received.

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><p>They were quietly walking on the street, a foot of distance between them. Risking a glance, Hotaru Imai noticed that calm expression in his face as he repositioned his grip on the bags he was forced to carry; an expression that though she didn't want to admit, she found somewhat difficult to read. He was completely silent since the compliment, and she thought it was better that way—or they'd end up arguing again.<p>

Thinking about it, she really shouldn't be bothered about the guy's weird silence. It's not like Ruka Nogi talks to her like Mikan does; or Iinchou does; or any other person does. It's not like _he_ talks to her the way he talks with Mikan.

Her eyebrow twitched. Since when did she care about that?

"Can I ask you something?"

"You already did."

Ignoring the cold reply, Ruka paused and sorted his thoughts. "H-how often do you go shopping like this?"

"Like this." Hotaru repeated flatly, as if pinning a point.

"I-I mean…this many." Ruka replied, unconsciously holding the bags up and down as if weighing them. "They're heavy."

Casually pulling out her list, the Ice Queen stared at it as she thought about his effort in trying to start a conversation. "I usually run out of supplies every other week; with all the demands of the investors. I need to fill my stocks almost every Saturday."

Ruka couldn't help but look at the young lady beside him, thinking about the loads of work she had to do all at the same time. "And you do this alone? Just like what Michel said."

It was her time to look at him now, and he suddenly felt his back stiffen at the sudden meeting of the eyes. "Yes."

"Wh-why? I-I mean…you never asked for help?" He stammered, quiet surprised of his own reaction to this. "I-I'm sure Mikan would definitely help you…i-if you asked."

Hotaru thought about how all of a sudden Mikan was part of the topic; looking away, she pushed the thought aside and replied, "Every person has a cross of her own to carry; and this is mine. I don't want to waste other people's time."

Ruka found himself dumbfounded for a moment. He really hadn't thought about that; all he knew was that Hotaru Imai's an Alice genius, Sakura Mikan's bestfriend, a very bad enemy, and the blackmailer of his life. He really didn't think about the other side; about her other than the Hotaru Imai everyone knew. Now that it crossed his mind, he found himself regretting that he didn't care so much about it before. He regretted that he even insulted her.

"A-and you…" He muttered, his brows slightly furrowing at an impossible image. "You carry all these every time you do this shopping?"

For some reason Hotaru found herself smirking, their quarrel completely bypassed now. "Why? You think I'm weak?"

Now he really had to be careful. "No. It's just…" He mumbled, feeling like every word he'd spit out would explode like a bomb. "I…I can't imagine h-how you can possibly manage."

She didn't reply at that, but when he glanced at her, her smirk seemed wider.

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><p>The sun was almost setting as they went out of the last shop; and Ruka's arms didn't feel so young anymore. Taking a deep breath, the blond Alice turned to the Ice Queen.<p>

"Are we done?"

Hotaru went under the shade of a huge tree by the park, Ruka trailing behind her. Glancing at her list, she nodded. "Let's go back."

Hotaru turned her heels to go, but stopped when he didn't move. Looking back, she raised an eyebrow at the suddenly flustered blond. "H-hey, Imai…" Hotaru patiently waited, quietly watching him sort his thoughts. Then Ruka looked up to her. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't do anything."

"B-but I said things. I-I called you…" He gulped, glancing back down.

"I didn't have to hear it from you; I know what people think of me. And I don't care."

"B-but…" His fists clenched on the bags. "Just…I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to…b-but you're just so—"

He was tired, ashamed, and confused; but for some reason, when he risked a glance, her lips curved up to a knowing smirk, confusing him even more. "I know."

"I'm sorry."

"Good."

It was quiet now; and the wind seemed cooler as the sky slowly turned slightly orange. Hotaru watched him staring at the concrete for the tenth second now, and she sighed. "Let's go back."

It took him a second to look finally look at her, and manage a weak smile. "You want some ice cream?"

She blinked. Staring at him, she found herself dumbfounded.

For some reason, his smile widened. "Come on." He said, half-turning towards the opposite direction. "It's my treat."

It was a moment he didn't plan; something that he just decided to do. He perfectly knew an ice cream wouldn't slash out any of her loads, nor make her forget about his insult; but he wanted to at least do something. Stupid as it sounded, he wanted to start with the simplest of things. Like carrying these heavy bags, for example; or quietly walking with her as she ever so quietly went from one shop to another. Or ignore her snaps once in a while. It's not easy, doing what he knew he really didn't want to do in the first place; but it's not that hard, too. And thinking about it, as Hotaru completely turned to walk beside him with that stoic expression on her face, he found himself sighing in relief.

He had no idea what led him to this thinking. Maybe it's just a late realization. Or maybe it's an accident. Or maybe because of the lingering feeling of guilt. Or that maybe Hotaru Imai's a witch. He didn't know; but he would have plenty of Saturdays left to find out.

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><p>AN: THere! What do you think about it? Is it bad? SO bad? Did you like it? Please let me know by leaving a review! Flames? Go! It'll help. though it will hurt. lol.  
>I'll try to update soon. See ya! :D<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

**Saturdays with the Ice Queen**

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><p>AN: Hello! I'm back again! I wrote the second chapter as soon as I could get a hold of the plot, so I hope it turned out well. If not, then please let me know! please? xD

Okay, here it is. R&R Everyone!

:D

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><p>Chapter 2: The Second Saturday: <strong>E M O T I O N S<strong>

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><p>Ruka Nogi rolled to his side, hugging his pillow close. He's been awake for an hour now, but it was a Saturday so he really didn't have to get up that early. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed bright light already penetrating the draped curtains. It's probably around noon already, maybe he should get up…but where to go anyway? Natsume sure would be with Mikan, and Piyo and his loyal animal friends would be having their afternoon naps by the time he would get to them.<p>

His mind was still murky from sleep though all he did for the past hour was rolling over and over under the covers, debating whether he should get up or not. Moving again to lie on his stomach, he buried his face on his pillow. And that's when the nagging thought came again.

_Her eyes. _

Ruka Nogi sprang up from lying down. Pulling up his knees, he ran a hand through his ruffled hair and sighed. It's been a month already since _that _Saturday. He really should have forgotten it by now, but guess what, he couldn't.

Pushing himself off his bed, he stretched and walked to the window, undraping them sluggishly. The sky was clear blue, and it was a pretty good day to just spend inside the room.

_Her eyes._

Seriously, that thought should stop flashing in his mind. It's not like he doesn't see her every day. She even blackmailed him the other day so he would just bring the piles of Electronics books from the library—she could've just asked him nicely and he would've done it without a word— and just yesterday they solved a Calculus problem together as on-the-spot partners. And it went perfectly fine…well if you'd slash out a couple of glares and insults of some sort. So there really shouldn't be any lingering effect like this.

Ruka sighed. _Sure there is._ And this effect would simply nag him over and over again if he won't get out of his room. Rubbing the back of his neck, he moved to get ready. He's going to Central Town.

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><p>"You're alone, Ms. Imai?"<p>

If not for the fact that this guy's really nice to her since she was ten, she would've snapped at him not to mind other people's business. So she simply shrugged and pointed a few additional items from her list. "And a couple of these."

Michel nodded, unaffected by the Ice Queen's evasiveness. "Alright, then." He muttered and held the list up, patting it on his temple. "Mind if I take this? The old bolt's not getting enough oil lately."

Hotaru managed a small smile, nodding. It was quiet now, the old ceiling fan humming above her in the center of the store. Over the years, she'd been getting her stocks from Michel, and this store's one of her priorities every time she goes to Central Town. The store's really good, pretty much having all that she usually needs. But electronics is something only a few people get involved into, especially here in the Academy. So she really didn't expect too many costumers coming over every now and then.

Hotaru looked over her shoulder to the street, and stopped herself at the fifth second of staring. She really shouldn't expect anyone specific. That part's over already. Walking over to one side, she busied herself reading random labels.

_Capacitors. Transistors. Power Supplies. AC Cords. _She paused, looking at the counter to check if Michel's back. Not yet. _Metal Chassis. DC Batteries. Blue lights. Yellow casings. His eyes._

She paused. _What the hell was that?_

As though adding up to the surprise, the door chimes rang and a tall, blond Alice with clear azure eyes stepped inside.

A moment of total silence.

She blinked.

He cleared his throat and started with the popular, "Uh…hi."

"Here you go, Ms. Im—oh, you're here young man!" Michel almost laughed when the Ice Queen simply stared at the _young man_.

Ruka managed a sheepish smile, before turning to the man at the counter. "Hello, Michel."

"I thought Ms. Imai's coming here alone again."

"I, uh…" Ruka mumbled, glancing back to the obviously surprised Ice Queen, then back to the man. "I just had something to do."

"Ah. And what're you—"

"Michel." Both guys turned to look at the seemingly forgotten Hotaru Imai as she moved to the counter, casually ignoring the blond. "A couple more capacitors."

The man cleared his throat and smiled at Ruka. "Be back in a minute." He said and walked back to the storage room.

Now that he's alone with the Ice Queen, he started to feel like he did the first Saturday: that it's a bad idea.

"What are you doing here, Bunny boy?"

Ruka gulped and turned to look at her. "Uh…I-I figured you might need some help."

Hotaru stared at him, and he stiffened. She raised an eyebrow; and he decided that she's obviously not fond of great surprises. "Not good enough."

"Uhm…" He mumbled, racking his brain for rationality. "Delivery fees are expensive?"

She paused, taking that in. It's not that she hated surprises; she just didn't know how to handle them well. "And your services are free, I suppose."

He surely didn't see that coming. He shrugged and looked away. "You don't really need to pay your friends." he mumbled, just enough for him to hear, and walked to the counter to stand beside her.

But she heard that alright. "Fine." She said, picking up the list Michel left at the counter with the supplies he brought, unconscious of the smirk playing on her lips. "Then you bring everything."

He wanted to say, 'that's why I'm here, right?' just so be able to snap a reply. But he figured he really didn't want to end up arguing with her again. So he simply said, "Okay."

Hotaru's eyes lingered on him for a moment, and he thought that maybe _this_ wasn't a good idea because the image might just start to get imprinted in his mind and he'd get sleep trouble. So when she looked away, he was just glad to do the same.

"And you can buy me ice cream later."

Ruka blinked, turning back to her. "Ice Cream." He said flatly.

"You don't remember what that is?"

"O-of course I do."

She smirked. "Then buy me one later."

His mouth was gaping as he stared, so he had to close it before she could even think of pulling out a camera from nowhere. But then he found himself smiling at himself. This was what he wanted, right? _No. _If not then why on earth did he even show up? _No idea._

"You're lucky, Ms. Imai." Michel said as he walked back into the room towards the counter, holding up a couple of mini-tube-like thing with two short, thin, metal legs. "These are the last ones."

Hotaru took them to her hands and nodded. "Thanks."

Ruka started to hold onto the bags and gently put them down on the floor from the counter as Hotaru paid. One moment there, as he stood waiting, Michel met his eyes. And though he didn't exactly understand what that look meant, his face suddenly felt hot.

"Let's go, Bunny boy." Hotaru turned her heels and led the way out.

"'kay, then." Michel said, closing the register. Smiling at the flushing young man, he waved a goodbye. "Come again."

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><p>"Can I ask you something?"<p>

Hotaru glanced at the gorgeous guy patiently carrying the heavy bags of supplies she bought. "Do you realize how stupid that question is?"

His brows furrowed for a second, then went smooth again as he replied. "I was wondering if…" He gulped, looking absolutely nervous yet determined.

"If what."

"I-if you…make your face look so calm on purpose."

Silence.

Hotaru Imai looked at him, torn between laughing—no, seriously—and hitting him hard. "What?"

Ruka gulped, completely feeling like an idiot. "I-I just…" He muttered, avoiding her eyes. "I just thought about how y-you seem to…c-control your emotions."

There was silence as they walked, and the autumn breeze blew against them. Glancing at her, Ruka thought that maybe he was being too up-close and personal. But then just when he was about to drop it completely, Hotaru replied.

"You might want to review your Biology. My brother's pretty much like me. Go blame genetics if you have a problem about it."

His back stiffened. "I-I don't have any problem about it. It's just that…" He mumbled, sorting his thoughts. Hotaru watched him think in silence for a moment, thinking about the fact that this guy actually came to help her. "You seem to be building a wall around you."

She blinked. She never knew he could be this perceptive, and thoughtful. "I'm not."

Ruka half-smiled at that, thinking about how they knew each other for years but never really got so close. "Well I feel it." He said, glancing at her. "You…_hide_ your emotions."

He paused, letting the words sink just in case she felt like answering him. He didn't want to force her to answers just to feed his wondering, but as he thought about it, he felt deep down how he wanted to understand. Because somehow, he felt like Hotaru Imai's simply misunderstood; and it's pretty unfair, he figured. They'd quarreled the last time they went shopping like this, and looking back, it was pretty much because he chose to see her as the Ice Queen everybody perceived her to be. She's a friend; more than anything else he should see her as that.

"I hate losing control."

Ruka blinked, and had to look at her to make sure he wasn't just hearing things. Hotaru met his eyes for a moment, and then looked straight ahead again. Her face was the usual façade, but she was feeling weird; not only because she's talking to him, but because she's opening herself up. Something she rarely does—even to Mikan.

"I hate losing control over anything." She said. "And emotions are number one—they're traitors. They give away things you really don't want anyone to know, to see."

"Traitors…?"

"Control your emotions or they will control you." Hotaru met his eyes, making sure he got that. Then she looked away, a smirk slowly creeping up on her lips. "Like now, for example." Ruka blinked. "You have that idiotic expression on your face, and I can read you like an open book."

He flushed. Seriously, he had to be careful about that reading like an open book part because he was actually thinking about how pretty her eyes were. He gulped, and completely avoided eye contact. Trying to look calm and confident, he muttered. "A-and what does my expression say?"

She glanced at him, catching his eyes when he dared a glance. She didn't have that smirk anymore; her eyes bored down on his and without realizing it, they already stopped walking.

He blinked, his heart starting to panic as he stared into her amethyst eyes. "What?"

"It tells me…"

"W-what…?"

She smirked. "It tells me how dumb you are just as how you look like right now."

A really strong flash suddenly hurt his eyes and he had to look away. His hand automatically put down some bags and rubbed his eyes. There was a short mechanical sound and he recognized it immediately as the classic camera she used in taking his pictures.

Hotaru fanned the freshly taken and printed photo in her hand, raised an eyebrow, and looked back at the blond. "You seriously don't know anything about controlling your emotions. The camera really captured the moment."

Ruka rubbed his eyes one last time and turned to the Ice Queen. "Imai…!"

She raised another eyebrow. "Don't 'Imai' me, Nogi." She said. "I just told you what I thought. And I was so caught into the moment I had to capture it."

"Shut up!"

"Maybe I'll add this up to my bestseller list." She smirked again and glanced at the perfectly taken picture. It was zoomed in just right, and the angle was perfect. What's nice about it was it captured his eyes so well she couldn't really figure out what he was thinking about. But she wasn't about to say that to him; that would ruin the 'pissing Ruka Nogi off' moment.

Breathing in a huge amount of air, Ruka let it out aloud. He sooooo wanted to squish this slender lady for doing that to him right there in his face! But deciding against the barbarian mode of his instincts, he narrowed his eyes and picked up the bags again and started to walk ahead. He was fuming, but he realized that he just couldn't storm away like that; he's had worse from her over the years. He shouldn't be showing her she won over him again by getting pissed. She's right—though he wasn't about to say that aloud—emotions betray people; and his anger just betrayed him by showing the Ice Queen she won again.

Hotaru quietly trailed behind him, still holding the picture in her hand, and noticed his steps slowing down. He's so not good in trying to act like a brat, she figured. If he really wanted to storm away, he shouldn't have carried those bags with him. She scoffed, and calmly watched him sigh as she walked to him.

Ruka glanced at her, his face flushed. Waiting for her to reach his side, he calmly started to walk again. He shook his head once, thinking about how childish Hotaru Imai gets. Sighing for the nth time since the moment he chose to spend his Saturday like this, he glanced at her. "You'll never get tired of doing that to me, would you?

Meeting his eyes for a moment, she smirked and looked at the photo before keeping it away with the camera to who knows where. "On second thought…" She mumbled, her eyes straight ahead as she walked to his pace. "The picture captured your dumb expression too well it might not sell very well. I'll keep it instead."

He sure heard that, and it was so much intended to piss him off again. But for some reason, the 'I'll keep it instead' part made him smile. "Whatever, Imai."

A good ten minutes passed in silence as they walked together, and he couldn't help but notice how fast they both seemed to recover from the dispute. Looking over to the ever so silent Ice Queen, he asked: "Where to?"

Hotaru looked up to the tall guy. "You're buying me Ice Cream, remember?"

"Oh." He blinked, thinking about her demand. "Right."

* * *

><p>Hotaru Imai swallowed the last of her sugar cone, and calmly shrugged off bits from her skirt. Ruka was trailing behind her, apparently unable to eat any of the dessert he bought her. They were back in the Academy now, earlier than they did the first Saturday. Walking in the corridors of the girls' dormitory, Ruka felt his arms complain.<p>

Keeping it to himself, he still found himself sighing in relief when they reached her room. Hotaru unlocked the door, turned the knob open, and stopped herself before facing him. Ruka blinked, oblivious of the sudden hesitation, and was only thinking about finally sitting down.

"Leave them here."

"Uh, here?"

Hotaru met his eyes. "Yes, here."

Ruka studied her calm and compelling eyes. "B-but…"

"I can do it myself." She cut in. "Just leave them here."

Ruka looked at the bags in his hands, and then peered over her shoulders to her room. It's a short distance, sure, and he believed her when she said she could do it herself; but he just didn't see the point. Looking into her eyes, he said. "I'll take these inside. I've carried them for hours now, it's fine."

Hotaru just stood there, not stepping aside.

"Hey, it's fine." He cut in, a weak, innocent smile on his face. "I won't touch anything. I just don't see the point in letting you take it from here when I can do it for you."

For just a moment there, he thought he saw her face turn red. But well, maybe no. Gently trying to pass through, he managed to step inside without really forcing her to move aside—it's her room anyway. Looking around him, he zeroed in the whole room and noticed that it was pretty much the same size as his own room. Her bed was there on his right, a study table beside it; a closet; a bathroom on the far corner; and three large windows in front of him opposite the door. On his left was a rather wide space, empty of furniture but had a wide carpet sprawled on the area. There were small cabinets on the sides, and a few unfinished mechanics. Her workplace, he figured.

"Don't touch anything." She said, and he almost jumped when she walked passed him from the door like a ghost.

"I'll put them here." He said and walked to one corner to put down the bags. And the moment the weights had been released from his grip, he found himself crashing down on the floor too. Scooting closer to the wall, he sighed, feeling the pins and needles running on his arms and legs. He really didn't know he was this tired until now.

It was quiet for a few minutes, the carpeted floor muffling Hotaru's soft footsteps, and Ruka found himself closing his eyes. He's really tired; but he wasn't about to crash here for the night—that'd be totally weird and awkward…and probably dangerous.

When he heard the plastic bags ruffling, he opened his eyes and immediately got caught by hers. She was kneeling down in front of him, a glass of ice cold water in her hand. "Drink."

Awkwardly reaching for the glass, he quietly ignored the brushing of their skin. He pulled his legs up, held the glass with both hands, and stared at it.

"It's not poisoned."

He flushed and looked at the Ice Queen, who was examining the bags in front of him, unloading them one by one. Clearing his throat, he looked back to the tempting glass and slowly lifted it to his lips. He smiled. "Thanks."

It was quiet again, and he watched her unload every bag and arrange them in groups. Hotaru started to fold the bags neatly, seemingly ignoring his presence.

"Do you want some help?"

She stood up, the folded plastics in her hand, and didn't even glance at him. "No."

With the empty glass in his hand, he got to his feet and looked at the things; then to the raven-haired Alice quietly looking at some blueprints. "I, uh, I better go now."

She nodded.

He sighed, glanced at the things again, and started to walk for the door.

Hotaru was perfectly aware of his sluggish footsteps, and she heard them well when they stopped by the door.

"A-about controlling your emotions…" She heard him say. "I-I really think you're good at it."

LAAAAME. Ruka gulped, feeling the blood rushing up to his face.

She smirked, not looking away from the blueprint. "I know." She said, and finally heard the door open.

"B-but I really think you should smile more often."

Turning to look at him, Hotaru Imai found herself staring at the door. It was completely quiet now, but she suddenly felt how empty her room was. She shook her head, a smirk playing on her lips. Walking to the windows, she undraped them and stared at the now purple sky. Saturdays had always been a tedious day for her, especially when she had to fill her stocks. She looked at the newly purchased things on the corner, and quietly calculated the number of inventions she had to finish before she ran out of stocks again. A month? A few weeks? She smiled and went back to her blueprints. Ruka Nogi should be marking his calendar, because she might just kidnap him when the next Saturday comes.

* * *

><p>AN: There! Second chapter's done. What do you think? Was it too much? What do you think about the camera part? The ending? Please...I want to know! Chapter3 should be coming soon, I'm still debating on what core topic to use. I hope I can decide soon. lol.

Ja! :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Saturdays with the Ice Queen**

* * *

><p>AN: Hey, there! Sorry for the long wait, but chapter3 is finally here! I wasn't able to use the laptop since Wednesday, so I wasn't able to finish the story. Btw, special thanks to Sakura Keiko for the helpful reviews! I got three so far, but I really don't mind so much. I simply love writing this story. lol.

So here it is...! R&R Everyone! :D

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: The Third Saturday: <strong>F R I E N D S<strong>

* * *

><p>The late October wind blew and dried leaves flew around him, making the surroundings look like a live painting. Ruka Nogi looked around him, waiting for any sign of the Ice Queen. Nothing. Sighing, he sat on the bench again and waited, just as what he'd been doing for the past hour. Racking his brain for possible reasons why the Ice Queen would be late, he felt the initial feeling of panic.<p>

_Maybe she lost track of time?_

No, that's too irresponsible and so unlike her.

_Maybe she had Mikan with her?_

He blinked; since Natsume's away on a mission, that might be probable. He sighed.

_Maybe she chose to go alone again?_

He paused; considering how proud she might be at times, maybe she did choose not to ask for his help again. But then his presence would save her the delivery fee—and that's money getting involved again so maybe she'd prefer his help after all.

_Or maybe she didn't really need to go shopping yet._

Running a hand on the back of his neck, his eyebrows furrowed, feeling a slight sting at that strong probability. But he really couldn't be sure.

Another half an hour passed in waiting, and a weird sensation in the pit of his stomach continued to nag him. Something's really wrong. Looking around him, he still saw no sign of the Ice Queen. Taking a moment to think about it, he got to his feet and walked back to the dormitories. It might not be a very bright idea, but he just couldn't stay there waiting for nothing; worrying himself like an idiot. He had to see her.

* * *

><p>"Ruka-pyon?"<p>

"Uh…hello, Mikan."

The brunette stared at the tall blond standing in front of the door, her neurons doing their best to take the situation in. "Wh-what're you doing here?"

"Oh, I—" He mumbled, feeling the blood rushing up to his face. What was he supposed to say anyway? "I-I was wondering wh-where Imai is, a-and…"

Mikan blinked, looked over her shoulder to the dim-lighted three-star room behind her. "Hotaru's inside…" She muttered, closing the door behind her. Ruka paused, and watched the worry in Mikan's eyes. He was right—something's wrong. "Did something happen?"

Mikan thought she heard slight panic in his voice, but she shoved the thought away and shook her head. "N-no, Hotaru's fine." She replied. "W-well, that's what she said. But she's got a really high fever, Ruka-pyon…"

A shiver ran down his spine, but he kept his eyes on the brunette even as Mikan looked away to wipe off the welling tears in her eyes. "I-I went to see her this morning, and found her still sleeping." She sniffed. "I was about to leave when I thought about checking on her. She was burning, Ruka-pyon!" He put a gentle hand on her shoulder, and watched her wipe off the stubborn wetness on her face. "She woke up half an hour ago, and told me she's fine and that she should go to Central Town."

His back stiffened. "She…insisted?"

Mikan nodded, and faced him again. "She said she had to fill her stocks. I tried convincing her, but she said it had to be today." Mikan shrugged, and shook her head. "I just don't understand why it had to be a Saturday."

He bit his gum and glanced away before clearing his throat. "But she's resting now, isn't she?"

"Yes." Mikan muttered. "I told her she can go if she'd rest first." Ruka couldn't help but raise both eyebrows, and Mikan flushed guiltily, pulling out a stone from her pocket. "I, uh, I got a little help from Narumi-sensei."

"That's pretty clever, Mikan." He smiled, and then noticed a piece of paper stuck on her pocket. "What's that?"

Pulling out the piece of paper, Mikan handed it over to Ruka. "I found that on her desk." She said. "I think those are the things she needs." Then she sighed, her face falling. "I-I want to help Hotaru…but I want to be with her, too; until she wakes up again. Oh, what am I going to do? Natsume's not around and—"

Ruka stared at the the paper while Mikan babbled about endless things in panic. It was pretty short, the list, compared to the previous ones he saw. Reading it, he felt just as clueless as Mikan as to what the things were, but he figured that maybe he can address to it better than Mikan could…no offense meant, really.

"…and that Hotaru'll get mad if she'd find out I used Narumi-sensei's Alice stone on her. And she would—"

"I'll do it."

"And what if—" Mikan blinked. "You'll do it?"

Ruka looked at her and said, "Take care of Imai. I'll go to Central Town."

"But—"

Putting a hand on top of her head, Ruka patted her once and smiled. "It's alright, Mikan." He said. "I think I can do it."

* * *

><p><em>Oh, no. How on earth am I supposed to do this?<em>

The sky was already starting to turn orange when he reached Central Town. Briskly walking down the familiar streets he and the Ice Queen had taken the first two Saturdays, he figured that finding the stores wouldn't be the problem. The real dilemma would be making sure he wouldn't buy the wrong item. Thinking about the consequences of that, he gulped.

He stopped walking and looked down at the list.

_5pcs_ _6A Transformer Center-tapped  
>100pcs 50V 10µF Capacitors<br>200pcs 1N4891 Programmable IC  
>5 metal chassis<br>5 boxes of bolts and screws_

He looked around him, for lack of any rational thing to do at the moment, and noticed a stall of desserts almost already covered by a huge banner printed bold red that said, _Oct. 24one-day sale! 10% off for first ten costumers! _His eyes lingered on the date—he was pretty sure there's something important with that date. He sighed, pushing the nagging thought aside. Even if he'd remember what's with a day in October, that wouldn't solve his present dilemma. Looking back to the piece of paper, he noticed a seemingly engraved word as though written with great pressure and then erased roughly with a pen eraser. Tilting the paper at an angle so the light would penetrate it just right, his lips curved up to a smile.

_Ice Cream._

He sighed again, still feeling hopeless, closed his eyes for a moment, and tried to think. What's the one place he'd be confident about to try first?

When it hit him, his eyes shot open. The next thing he knew, he was running down the street, dodging a few people walking opposite his direction. He just hoped old Michel doesn't close early.

* * *

><p>Hotaru Imai could feel her temples throbbing, her breath hot and her throat dry. It's been a long time since she felt this weak and sick, and just as the last time, she hated it. The room was quiet, and it made her want to pick up a blueprint so she could make use of her time. But as though reading her thoughts, she heard someone say from the far corner of the room.<p>

"You should get some sleep."

Hearing that voice made her want to open her eyes. Her forehead felt cool and wet, and realized that it was a damp towel. Then she heard her bestfriend's voice, quiet and sleepy beside her. Mikan was taking care of her.

"I-I'm not tired."

"It's late, Mikan." He gently reasoned. "You've been here since morning."

"But what if Hotaru wakes up?"

A pause.

"I-I won't leave…" He replied, and she heard a heavy thud on the floor with plastic getting ruffled. _Heavy plastic bags?_ "So I'll know it if she wakes up."

She heard her bestfriend sigh. A few moments later, she heard Mikan stand up, pull a chair from the bedside table on her left, and sit down.

"Ruka-pyon?" Funny how she could imagine the blond jump in surprise and flush before looking at Mikan. "When Hotaru wakes up…"

"I'll wake you up, too." He cut in—_probably with a smile_, she thought. "Get some rest, Mikan."

It was completely quiet now, and with the soft breathing she could hear on her left side she knew Mikan's deep in sleep already. Checking on herself, her body still felt weird; she's tired, her head's throbbing, her throat's dry and aching, and she's hungry. She's kind of sleepy, too, but she didn't want to go to sleep anymore. Even when she's tired, her body usually gives in to what her mind wants; maybe that's why she suddenly got sick like this.

She really didn't mind taking a break sometimes, she even enjoyed her rest if not because of the nagging thoughts about deadlines, assignments, pop quizzes, school government meetings, Saturdays… Thinking about that, maybe if she got sick yesterday, or tomorrow, or any other day of the week it would've been better. Why did it have to be a Saturday?

Still resting her eyes, Hotaru Imai thought about her day getting wasted. She could've done a lot of things; she would've been able to finish her assignments, study some blueprints, plot some blackmail strategies, eat, read, level-up in DOTA, or sort out her piles of paperwork. Above all else, she could've spent it shopping to refill her stocks. The last one's pretty boring, if she'd compare it to her long list of 'what-to-do's since shopping involves _spending_ money; but then for some reason she found it quite…interesting. Maybe because she never really knew how every Saturday she'd spent shopping with that _young man_ turn out.

Breathing in, she let out a warm sigh and suddenly felt a hand on her face. Her back stiffened, her neurons working the on the double so she could react fast.

Completely unmoving, Hotaru felt the warm hand feel her face for a moment before taking the towel off from her forehead. Hearing the quiet sound of water in a bowl, she opened her eyes and saw him sitting there on her bed beside her, the towel in his hand, and looking at her like she had just risen from the dead.

Ruka Nogi almost spilled the bowl of water on the floor when he saw the Ice Queen staring at him. Her hair was slightly ruffled, she looked paler than usual, and she looked like she was going to eat him alive. Honestly.

Mustering all that's left in his guts, he managed to find his voice. "Uhm…you're awake?"

Hotaru blinked, opened her mouth, and raised an eyebrow at him. "No. I'm still sleeping. And you're a live dummy."

"Oh." Ruka Nogi simply didn't know what to say. Talk about getting nervous in front of a girl.

Hotaru enjoyed his sudden panic, the slight coloring of his cheeks, and how he tried to say something but nothing came out; and she felt the smirk creeping up on her lips. Ruka didn't miss that, and he flushed even more. Recognizing that kind of look she had on her face, he knew she was awake for a few minutes now. He gulped back his panic, and tried to find his voice.

"H-how do you feel?"

Hotaru stared at him for a moment, and then looked at Mikan, who was already drooling at her drawing table. "I'm fine."

For some reason he found himself touching her face again with his hand, deciding against her claim that she's fine. He perfectly felt her twitch at the sudden touch, but his hand paused there, feeling the stubborn fever warming her skin up to 50degrees. "You're burning hot." He pointed. "You're not fine."

The Ice Queen put a mental note to keep a Baka Gun handy near her bed, just in case some guy suddenly go against her and touch her like that. Looking back at him, his big hand felt warm and gentle against her feverish skin. "I'm fine."

Ruka sighed, pulled his hand away and stood up, not really knowing what to do. He said he'd wake Mikan up, but for some reason he didn't want to.

"Help me up."

He looked at the Ice Queen, sluggishly trying to prop herself up. "B-but you have to stay—"

"Help me up or I'll bring you down."

He sighed and reached down to her; he put an arm around her shoulder and gently supported her weight as he propped the pillows behind her. Her head was spinning, but with their faces this close, she figured it wasn't all because she was sick. Scooting closer to the headboard, she rested her head on the soft cushion. On that brief moment, Hotaru Imai didn't miss the half-unloaded plastic bags scattered on her work area.

Ruka sat there close beside her, just in case she'd suddenly fall or something—which was probably kind of stupid. "Are you alright?"

Hotaru looked at him blankly, paused there, and watched him flush again. "Tell me why you're here."

Ruka noticed that it wasn't a question, but a command. And he knew a whole lot about the consequences of not doing what she wanted. Sure, Hotaru Imai's sick now; but he didn't want to take the risk. "I-I…" He started, and then faltered when he realized it was also quite difficult to tell the truth. Clearing his throat, he got to his feet. "I, uh, I'll get you something to eat."

Thinking about the plastic bags she just saw, Hotaru Imai didn't really need to hear it from the flustered blond: He went to do it himself when he found out that she couldn't. Hotaru glanced at her bestfriend snoozing on her study table, and thought that since the two were present now, then they probably spent the whole day together. There's nothing wrong with that, but it made her raise an eyebrow absently.

"Mikan's been here all day." Hotaru heard him say, and she turned her look at the blond walking back to the bed. "She didn't want to leave you." He muttered, carefully balancing a bowl of porridge in both hands as he sat down close beside her.

"And you didn't want to leave her."

Again, that wasn't a question; and Ruka's grip on the bowl tightened instinctively—just in case he'd suddenly spill it over. His eyes dropped on the bowl. "I-I can't just leave."

"Why."

He shrugged. "I just got back."

That sure did catch her off guard. Hotaru Imai stared at the blond; doing the shopping alone was one thing, but finishing it at this hour of the night? She paused there, and despite knowing, she asked, "From where?"

"Central town."

He really didn't want to get trapped by her eyes again. He let out a quiet sigh as he tried to calm himself down, and scooped the spoon from the bowl and carefully held it to her mouth, his eyes focused on the spoon. She stared at it for a second, and then looked back to him blankly.

Suddenly, Ruka smiled at her that gorgeous smile she secretly liked. "It's not poisoned." She raised an eyebrow and he sighed. "Come on, Imai. You have to eat."

When she finally opened her mouth, he felt a wave of relief. At least he didn't need to argue with her just so she would eat. They sat there in silence, with him feeding her; and with every second of it he felt comfortable, while the questions in her mind bubbled.

After a few minutes, Hotaru turned to him. "You did the shopping."

He gulped. "I-I, uh…yes."

"How."

"I-I got help from Michel."

Raising an eyebrow, she muttered, "And you just got back."

For some reason he managed a sheepish smile. "Oh, that. He muttered, staring at the porridge again as though talking to it. "It was dark already, when we finished. So he invited me to stay for dinner. A-and, uhm…talk."

He strongly wished she wouldn't pick that last word up, because even now as he tried not looking into her eyes, he could hear the old man's words echoing in his head… _'I know you don't spend a lot of time with Ms. Imai…but now I see that you're trying to.'_

Hotaru watched Ruka do the mental talking thing with the porridge, and she shrugged, not really interested to join the freak show. Resting her head on the headrest, she thought that maybe—just maybe—this wasn't a bad Saturday after all.

"Right." He suddenly said, moving to pull out a piece of paper from his pocket. Glancing at it for a moment, he handed it over to the Ice Queen. "That's the list Mikan gave me. I-I hope that's the right one."

Hotaru stared at it and raised her eyebrows. "It's not."

His eyes almost bulged. "Wh-what?"

Then she smirked, folded the paper, and put it away. "You're so predictable."

Ruka felt the blood rushing up to his face again, and he looked away, thinking about how Hotaru Imai had mastered him perfectly that she could manipulate him any way she wanted. Hotaru watched him sigh, get up to his feet, and walk to the other side of the room with the empty bowl. When he got back, she was pretty surprised when he sat beside her again—blushing furiously, of course.

"Mikan told you to wake her up."

Ruka glanced at the sleeping brunette on their left. "She needs her rest."

The Ice Queen looked at her sleeping bestfriend again, imagining how tired she must be. "She could've just slept in her room."

Glancing at her blank face, then to Mikan's, Ruka shrugged. "You'd do it for her if the tables were turned." When Hotaru turned back to him and met his eyes, he felt the sudden weight of her seemingly empty stare. Clearing his throat, he glanced away. "You're a good friend. Just like Mikan."

Hotaru Imai blinked, stared at the blond like he was some newly discovered specimen, and then looked back to Mikan. "If I were her, I would've brought a futon or something."

Ruka smiled. "The two of you are pretty much alike more than you know."

"You could get hit really hard for saying that."

For some reason he gently chuckled as he looked away. "You're both good friends."

She simply didn't know what to say at that. She and Mikan had been best friends for like…a lifetime, and nobody could ever question what they had. Not that it mattered so much, but this was the first time someone actually said that kind of thing to her. Not knowing what to say at that, she muttered, "Don't _you _need your sleep?"

"I'm not tired."

"Liar."

Ruka half-smiled at that and then glanced at the half-unloaded plastic bags on the Ice Queen's work area. "I-I was about to unload those…"

Trailing his line of sight, Hotaru stared at the bags for a moment, thinking about his effort. Before she knew it, her cheeks had already gone warm. "I'll do it in the morning."

"B-But—" Hotaru glared at him. "But I unloaded the others already."

"Put them back." She said, and continued when she saw his face go red and white and red again—probably torn between blushing and getting annoyed. "I arrange and sort them out in specific groups. Unless you'd want to redo _all_ the work should you misplace just one bolt or screw, then go. Do it."

He blinked, half-wondering if this girl's really sick or simply trying to make him do things again. Knowing that he didn't have any choice, he shrugged and got to his feet to load the things back to the bags, mumbling to himself, "I just want to help."

Hotaru stared at the wall facing her, keeping her betraying emotions at bay. "You've helped enough." She said, not really caring if he heard it or not, and then closed her eyes. _Maybe more than that._

It was quiet now, except for the ruffling of the bags and Mikan's soft snoring. Checking the time, her eyebrows raised when the clock read 11:50P.M. She's way beyond her schedule. She knew very well how deadlines worked, and even if it's October, she just had to comply with the demands; since she so well had imposed hers also, which, for the sake of professionalism, she shouldn't mention. She sighed, resting back her eyes.

A few more minutes passed and she almost didn't notice it when Ruka walked back to her. Opening her eyes, she stared at the blond guy hesitantly standing beside the bed, a box in his hand. When she raised an eyebrow, he gulped and sat back beside her; this time very much conscious of their proximity. "Uhm…I-I wasn't sure if an ice cream would be good for you now." He muttered, gently placing the box to Hotaru's lap. "S-so I bought this one instead…"

Hotaru stared at the blushing blond, wondering when he suddenly turned like this, and then looked at the familiar box on her lap.

"A-and, uhm…" He immediately tried to add, glancing to her eyes. "Happy Birthday." Hotaru stiffened; and turning to the blond beside her, she stared at him incredulously. Ruka noticed the surprise in her eyes, and for a moment he doubted if his calendar was right. But he just couldn't be wrong about that simple fact. "It's October 25; your birthday, right?"

Now that's way beyond missing deadlines, forgetting your own birthday. Hotaru blinked, still looking at his eyes as she tried to think. It was the 23rd when Mikan came over to her room, when she suddenly felt dizzy and her bestfriend convinced her to rest—which, she thought, she should clarify on Mikan how she managed to make her comply. Sure, she fell asleep the whole day, but it couldn't be that she slept for more than 24 hours without knowing! When she broke the stare and glanced back to the clock, she found the answer clearly slapping her on the face. It's 12:05. _Dawn…_ Of course, it's her birthday.

Diverting her attention back to the box, she stared at it for a moment like some specimen, still quite dazed at the truth that this blushing guy beside her gave this to her, and the annoying fact that she lost track of her own birthday. The box had a neatly tied ribbon around it, and was rather…inviting, if not for the sudden surprise element. She thought about the ice cream he bought her the last two Saturdays they spent together, and then the ice cream she didn't get today because she's damn sick; and she shrugged, not really wanting to dwell on loses now that he just greeted her a happy birthday at 12:05 A.M.

She opened it.

_Howalons?_

As if reading her mind, or maybe her stoic face—though that would take some really good skills—Ruka said, "Ice cream flavored Howalons."

The Ice Queen stared at the box of delicious treats. Unlike Mikan, she wasn't a very good fan of desserts, but this was an exception. They looked really good and tasty; and normally, she would've lunged on them already. But now, even as she stared at the treats, she couldn't help but point how thoughtful Ruka Nogi was.

Misunderstanding her silence, Ruka sighed and looked away. "S-sorry...I should've just—"

"Thank you."

Ruka felt the shiver run down his spine, and for some reason he couldn't quite meet her eyes. "I-It's nothing..."

"I'm not sure why you're doing this…" He heard her say, and he stiffened, knowing that he perfectly had the answer to her wondering. Then her eyes flickered to him, and when he glanced, he couldn't look away again. "But in case it all ends now, thank you."

They stared at each other in silence, no longer minding their proximity. Ruka wondered what she possibly meant by that, but somehow, he had a clear answer in his mind.

"You're so mean, Natsume!"

The bed shook roughly as they both jumped in surprise, flashing a look to Mikan's direction. The brunette flailed her arms sluggishly with her eyes closed, and then mumbled unintelligently to herself before burying her face in her arms again in slumber. Ruka snickered, and then bit his gum to stop when Hotaru sighed helplessly. Talk about an ice breaker…way to go, Mikan.

And it was quiet..._again_.

"It can't just end now." He suddenly said, and surprised her when he met her eyes. "'Cause we're friends, right?"

Hotaru Imai paused there, and then rolled her eyes and smirked, looking away as she casually picking up a Howalon and put it in her mouth. For some reason she didn't feel like hiding her emotions; she was feeling amused—and happy; and she simply didn't care if he could see that.

Ruka didn't miss that one fact, and he flushed, still smiling as he looked away. "You're welcome, Imai."

She was already eating her third howalon when he suddenly yawned. Glancing at him blankly, she shoved a piece of the dessert to his mouth and he almost yelped.

"Wh-what—"

"Eat." She said, and then concentrated back to her box.

It's not the first time someone had given her this kind of a gift, and it's not her first time to eat howalons either. But as she ate her fourth one, she couldn't help but wonder why they tasted more delicious now than ever.

After a few minutes of eating in silence, Ruka heard her mutter, "It's late."

"Yeah." He said, his eyes on the howalon in his hand. "You should get back to sleep."

She nodded, picking up another piece before closing the box. "You can get back to your room now."

He felt the surprising sting as he heard that, but he was somehow convinced that she didn't say it the way it sounded…well, it would really hurt otherwise. He wanted to stay—he didn't even bother to deny it to himself; but he figured it would really be awkward, unnecessary, and quite…dangerous, considering that she's still _the _Ice Queen after all. So he sighed, got up to his feet, and managed to smile at her sheepishly before awkwardly turning for the door.

The doorknob felt slightly cold and uninviting, and he almost believed it if not for the piece of rationality left in his mind telling him that he's simply hallucinating. Turning it open, he stopped when he heard her soft voice.

"Hotaru." Ruka felt the shiver run down his spine, and finally looked back at her. Hotaru raised an eyebrow at him as though talking to an idiot, biting on a howalon. "That's my name."

It took him a moment to register that, and when his brain signaled that it was okay, the blond found himself smiling real wide. "You know mine." He said, ignoring the flush, and closed the door behind him.

The Ice Queen stared at the door for a moment, and again, her room felt quite empty…no offense to the sleeping Mikan, though. Looking back to the box of Howalons on her lap, she shrugged, convinced that even if she'd eat a piece right now, it wouldn't taste as good as they did a while ago.

* * *

><p>AN: There! It's done! I sooo love writing a trying-to-stay-indifferent Hotaru even if it's so obvious what RUka's effect on her. lol. ANYwaaaay... I'll do my best to update soon! Please leave a review! I really want to know what you think of the talking-while-Mikan's-sleeping part. ;P

Okay, then. Ja! :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Saturdays with the Ice Queen**

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><p>AN: Hey, there! I wrote this chapter as a one shot a few weeks before I started with "Saturdays with the Ice Queen", and I decided to include it as one of the chapters since it doesn't really have a whole story plot going on but just one event. Maybe it'll do otherwise...but, oh, well, I decided to include it here anyway. :P

So here it is... R&R! :D

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><p>Chapter 4: The Fourth Saturday: <strong> D A N C E<strong>

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><p>She sat there, quietly indulged in her third plate of the night while practically ignoring her fans behind her. It was quite perfect, actually, her unwavering indifference towards the people trying to get her attention; each one of them pleading to get the chance to dance the <em>last dance <em>with her. That fact alone kind of made his already frantic heart to beat a lot faster, if that's even possible.

It was the fourth day of the Academy's annual Cultural festival, and apparently, the joyful night's about to end and Ruka Nogi still felt pretty much the way he did a few hours ago when he decided to pursue his plan. He was quietly sitting alone on a table, watching his bestfriend and Mikan dance around the giant bonfire—which, he thought, was really big. He wondered how many trees the school had to cut for firewood and how many birds lost their homes because of that.

He blinked. _Oh, no…_ he frowned at himself. If he'd let this slowly occurring self-preservation take over him, then he wouldn't be able to… He gulped; and risking another glance towards the lone lady a few meters across him, he sighed. _There's no chickening out, now. _Getting up to his feet, he forced his legs to move before he could even think of backing out for real. Taking a deep breath, he headed towards the Ice Queen.

* * *

><p>Hotaru Imai let out a quiet sigh. Natsume and Mikan's dancing for the nth time now, and apart from her bestfriend, she hadn't danced with anybody else. Looking around her, she kind of felt like this was going to be the most boring festival she'd ever had. Giddy, unnerving, and boring—not exactly her type. This was supposed to be the Cultural festival, not Valentine's Day. Moreover, the whole night's gone pretty annoying with these stupid fans unwaveringly pleading her to dance with each of them; and she'd already decided to ignore other things altogether.<p>

But that's until she saw him walk towards her. Looking up, she looked at the blond guy's determined but obviously frantic eyes. They stared at each other for a moment, perfectly aware of the eyes around them that were suddenly watching them. To her, that would pass as something normal since she became one of the Executives with Class Rep Tobita Yuu; but now those eyes simply felt intrusive.

Trying to stay focused, Ruka Nogi blinked and started, "C-can we talk?"

Even with the chill of the night breeze, Hotaru Imai's face felt warm. "Then sit down."

His face flushed, and for a moment he looked like he was choking; but managing to collect himself, he shook his head and quietly cleared his throat. "No. Not here."

She raised an eyebrow at him, for lack of anything to say; but she stood up, nonetheless, and led the way to the shadows.

* * *

><p>Now safely concealed by the trees and the bushes, Hotaru turned her heels to face the blushing blond quietly walking behind her, who now stopped on his tracks and even with great, obvious, effort, couldn't meet her stoic face. In the chilly silence, the wind blew hard and made him feel a cold, scared and—more than anything else—wanting to back out.<p>

"What do you want, Nogi?"

He was about to say _"Hey, I thought you'd start calling me 'Ruka' instead!" _—but he perfectly knew a lot about wasting the Ice Queen's time and all; so taking a deep breath, he pursed his lips and faced her.

Hotaru's pretty. No, scratch that—lately, she'd been really stunning; not that he didn't think so even before.

"I…" He started, jamming his hands to his pockets and clenching them to fists as if they'd give him strength. "I never really believed in the Legend."

When she gave him that look—which was pretty much the same as any of her stoic expressions—he looked down as he continued. "Y-you know…the Legend a-about the…" His heart pounded, his face getting warmer now, "…the _last dance._"

She honestly wanted to listen to him, but her heart was getting difficult to handle now, and her pulse beat wildly on her temples. For some reason she suddenly lost the spirit to put up the staring.

He looked back to her face and managed to calm down when he saw she wasn't looking at him. "I-I honestly thought it was stupid…"

"It is."

He paused, his heart leaping in panic. Hotaru crossed her arms and watched him again, but doing her best to avoid his eyes.

Ruka opened his mouth, and then glanced back down. "U-until I…" He stammered, gulping back the chickening. "I realized that…no one can really say. I mean, nobody knows if two people would actually be…t-together."

He paused, now feeling the embarrassment more than ever. How could he have possibly felt so confident a few hours ago? How could he even manage to consider the idea?

"I-it's just a dance." He said, managing to let out a bitter chuckle as if saying it to himself more than to her.

Hotaru felt unbelievably calm now; and as she watched him sort his thoughts out, she felt very willing to wait—to know what he wanted to say, or _how _on earth he was going to say it; though she was pretty sure where all this was leading to.

Ruka sighed, and met her eyes again. "But then I…"

"But then you still want to dance with me."

Well maybe Hotaru just lost it and she just couldn't wait anymore.

Ruka Nogi closed his mouth, and let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. His throat was suddenly dry, and his heart—though tired—didn't give up on racing furiously. Hotaru's face was unbelievably calm, and he kind of envied her for being able to put it up that way. His face flushed, and when he found his voice, he muttered: "Yes."

She didn't say anything for a while, and though he knew Hotaru wasn't really the talking machine unlike her bestfriend, he was pretty sure that this kind of silence would eventually bring no good.

"I didn't dance with them." Hotaru said, her face a perfect mask now; which, he figured, she uses whenever she's on the verge of a threatening emotion. "What makes you think I won't say _no_?"

Ah. That kind of stung; right on the face. But then for some reason, Ruka shrugged, his eyes tiredly bored down on her, and his lips curved up to a gentle smile. "For one thing you didn't say _no_ right away."

"No."

His face contorted to disbelief and annoyance, and he practically groaned at her as if to express his utter irritation. Her lips tugged on one side, and Ruka narrowed his eyes at her when he saw this.

"But I'm not_ asking _you, Hotaru." He muttered, glancing away as he blushed. "I _want_ you to dance with me."

Their eyes bore on each other, and Hotaru smirked—bypassing the fact that he'd just used her name. "Then aren't you gonna take my hand?"

"…"

She raised an eyebrow at him, taking a step closer at the now agitated blond. "How am I supposed to dance with you if you're not going take my hand?"

He stared at her in the eyes, and his smile almost faltering. "If I take your hand tonight…" He muttered, barely hearing himself as he looked her in the eyes. "I…I might not give it back to you."

The cool wind blew, but with their bodies almost touching, and with that really cute smile radiating on her as he stared, Hotaru Imai didn't feel cold at all. But with his words ringing in her ears, her tongue suddenly lost its sharpness.

Then Ruka quietly sighed, looking down to her hand as he slowly held it as gently as ever. "So I-I won't take it unless…u-unless you're really sure you want me to." Hotaru opened her mouth, and then closed it again when the blond Alice's smile seemed to widen. "So I'll just borrow it tonight."

His big hand was warm as it completely enveloped hers, and feeling the slight shiver run down her spine, Hotaru found herself suddenly smirking.

Hotaru slightly tilted her head as if thinking; now raising an eyebrow at the blond, that smirk still on. "Then at least try not to step on my foot; they're not for the taking."

His smile widened, and just when he was about to open his mouth, Hotaru dragged him to the dancing rather too harshly.

* * *

><p>Dancing with Ruka Nogi wasn't like anything she'd ever experienced, she figured; no wonder Mikan had that stupid grin on her face every time they'd dance. Thinking about that, Hotaru wished she didn't have that same grin on her face as Ruka's hand pulled her waist close.<p>

Ruka knew how his animal friends could perfectly see him now; as well as how Mikan and the others could see them too. Maybe the 'Watching over Ruka' group would finally throw a party or something if they'd see him now. But then even as the music changed key, he found himself paying less attention to anything but the girl he's dancing with. He smiled, content of at least being able to finally say to her what he had wanted to shout out loud. Well, maybe not all of it, but still…

Hotaru Imai, on the other hand, couldn't help but pay attention to every detail she could notice. How the music suddenly became slow; how the moon suddenly peeked from the dark clouds; how the howling from afar suddenly sounded more like Mikan's cheering than the usual forest sounds. Above all else, she was perfectly aware of this blond guy's features more than she'd ever been aware before. How his hair would sway gently with the slight breeze; how his long lashes looked so alluring and he didn't even know; how his lips looked lovely as they curved into a gentle smile. And his eyes…

Hotaru stared at his blue eyes that still looked beautiful even in the dim moonlight. With all he'd said replaying in her mind, she figured it would be pretty hard to sleep tonight; and that maybe—just maybe—this wasn't the most boring festival she'd ever had.

* * *

><p>AN:

:P


	5. Chapter 5

**Saturdays with the Ice Queen**

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><p>AN: Hey, there! I'm sooooo sorry for the long wait! I was soooo busy in school and had little time to get on with the story. T_T

So I won't prolong the wait any longer, alright? Here it is!  
>Enjoy! :D<p>

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><p>Chapter 5: The Fifth Saturday: <strong>C H R I S T M A S<strong>

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><p>"Hotaru!"<p>

"Shut up, idiot." Natsume mumbled.

Ruka Nogi watched the Ice Queen's calm and calculating eyes flicker towards their direction. Their eyes met for a fraction of a second, but her eyes lingered on the brunette standing on his right. He was pretty sure her purple eyes would just pause for a moment to glare at her noisy bestfriend, but he was surprised when he saw her smile before looking away to a guest on-stage.

Mikan grinned before sticking out a tongue at the Black Cat. But for some reason, Mikan bit her gum and nudged Ruka gently; that perceptive glint in her brown eyes so visible he didn't want to think about what those meant. So he tried to turn his attention back to the stage.

Iinchou was giving the welcoming speech for the night's Ball, and he was—honestly—trying to listen to his friend; but he just couldn't help but look at the raven-haired Alice elegantly sitting with the other Executives on-stage. She had that usual calm look on her face, and she was—he bet—pretty bored, though no one could actually see that on her elegant façade.

"And for the seniors…" Ruka Nogi heard Iinchou say to the microphone before smiling at them. "This will be our last Ball, so let's all make the best of it."

For some reason, he felt like that was for him. There would be, after all, _another _dance. Staring at the School Council President on the podium who was smiling at them, he shrugged and returned the smile. Sure enough, that was for everyone.

There was a loud cheering when Iinchou ended the speech—the Christmas Ball's officially started. Everyone was at high spirits. The hall was immediately filled with excitement and laughter; and Mikan started to babble about all the previous Balls they had. He suddenly felt a tingle at the back of his neck, and he looked back over his shoulder to the stage and saw the Ice Queen talking to Iinchou and the other Executives. He watched them for a moment, and Iinchou's words echoed in his mind again. Feeling the blood rushing up to his face, he was about to look away when her purple eyes met his.

You know what they say, 'If you got caught staring, don't feel all that bad; that only means she stared back.'

In that brief moment, when their eyes met, Ruka Nogi felt like he just got dissected—as if everything in him got revealed to the Ice Queen—and that's really bad because he wasn't really sure if Hotaru wanted to know _everything_ that's running in his mind now. Or if she'd like it for that matter. Or worse, if she'd feel the same.

Ruka watched the Executives walk down the stage when a man in suit approached them. He didn't miss the slight surprise in Hotaru's eyes, as well as on Iinchou's face, when the man seemed to introduce himself. Iinchou shook the man's hand, and then Hotaru did. For some reason, Ruka's heart beat fast; and that confused him, because he didn't really know that guy. And he was pretty sure that anything they might have been talking about didn't concern him.

Ruka watched them unwaveringly. Then the man said something to the Ice Queen, and they stared at each other for a moment in that calculating manner Ruka knew so well. Suddenly, Hotaru said something and Iinchou nodded before turning his heels to leave.

As the Ice Queen led the way for some place private, Hotaru met Ruka's eyes. For a brief moment there, a voice in his mind told him that maybe—just maybe—he might really be involved.

* * *

><p>The dancing had already begun when Hotaru Imai returned to the Ballroom. She stood on one corner of the hall, a few feet from the buffet table, and partly concealed by the giant Christmas tree—which was pretty good since she was in no mood to entertain random fans. She crossed her arms and watched random people laugh, talk, eat, and dance.<p>

Thinking about it, she should be doing at least one of those things now; not just stand here like a wallflower. Not that she actually mind, it's just that Christmas Balls aren't supposed to be spent like this. Her past Christmas Balls weren't like this. Her eyebrow twitched. Mikan should be babbling something by now, if she was with her; but she wasn't. Why?—All because she was with her _boyfriend_. Other friends, you ask? Well, let's just say that apparently, everyone's pretty busy dancing.

Her stomach rumbled, and a slight furrow ruined her perfect calm face. No, she's not hungry; that _guest_ made her eat as they talked for almost an hour. She really didn't mind. It's just that because of _that_, she missed the most important part of the Christmas Ball—the distribution of the cakes.

Again, she's not hungry, but what's a party without a cake? Right? Right?

"Uh, hi."

She turned and met the eyes of the tall, blond guy standing a meter behind her. Well, maybe if you have this one, you won't mind not having a slice. There's no way he'd know she thought about that, and her face remained stoic. "Hi."

Ruka Nogi stared at the Ice Queen. Her short cut hair looked pretty much the same as when they were little, but now looked more elegant under the bright lights; her smooth, pale skin seemed to glow in contrast to her cream-colored Christmas attire that seemed to make him notice her curves more than necessary; her dissecting, purple eyes looked really…_sharp._

"You really should stop staring now, Bunny Boy."

"I-I'm not staring!"

She raised an eyebrow at him, and it took him a moment before looking away, his face flushed. Her eyes casually zeroed on him, and she noticed how wide his shoulders were; his hair was combed neatly and stylish at the same time. She never really noticed when his height boosted, but whenever he's close, she found herself straining her neck just to glare at him—and that's quite intimidating because he's just someone she got used to bullying for like…a lifetime. Then she noticed something else.

Ruka felt the sudden change in her eyes as they stared at the plate in his hand. "Oh." He mumbled and awkwardly handed the plate to her. "It's for you."

"What is _that_." It was barely a question, and it sounded stupid, yes, she knew that. She just didn't know what to say.

"It's uh, a cake."

Her eyes lingered on the deliciously looking, unusually large, slice of cake, and she was about to open her mouth to say something when—

"Hotaru!"

You guessed it.

Hotaru mumbled under her breath something about not bringing her Baka gun, before turning to face her bestfriend who was apparently glued on her already. "Stop throwing yourself on me, Baka."

Ruka watched Mikan stick a tongue at the Ice Queen before grinning again. It took him a moment to notice the Black Cat quietly standing beside him, a sly smirk on his usually bored face. One look at it, he knew perfectly what it meant; and it didn't help him stop the blushing.

"Where have you been, Hotaru?" Mikan brought him back to his senses. "You disappeared after the opening ceremony!"

He didn't miss the glance she threw him before answering, "It's none of your business."

"B-but—" Mikan stopped herself and turned her attention to the almost-forgotten blond. "Ruka-pyon!"

"Uh, hi..."

"Wh-where did you get that?" Mikan pointed a finger at the forgotten cake.

Ruka gulped, and felt utterly worse when Natsume turned to the brunette. "I thought you took the last slice."

"I-I did! I took it for Hotaru-chan!"

"But you sloshed it in your face."

"Yes, and—hey!" Mikan turned to point the finger at the Black Cat. "I didn't slosh it in my face on purpose!"

Hotaru fought the urge to hit her bestfriend. "That's quite hard to believe."

The brunette pouted and immediately turned back to her bestfriend. "B-ut it was an accident!" She wailed. "I tried to catch the last slice but I—"

"—tripped on your own shoe."

"—tripped on my own shoe—h-hey! Stop butting in, Natsume!"

On the quiet side, Ruka Nogi watched the two girls as Mikan told the rest of the story enthusiastically. She tripped, yes, and sloshed one slice of cake on her face, the other one on the floor. Romantically, though, her _boyfriend_ refused to give her his slice of cake—which was quite ungentlemanly, Mikan said before sticking out a tongue at Natsume, who wasn't really paying attention.

"So you didn't eat any." Hotaru concluded, cutting Mikan off in mid-sentence.

"I—" Mikan's cheeks flushed. "I did. Well, Yoichi gave me his share."

Hotaru raised an eyebrow.

"He did!" Mikan said in reply to her bestfriend's unspoken disbelief. "I was pretty shocked, too, Hotaru! And then—"

At some fraction of a second while Mikan babbled about Yoichi, Ruka met Natsume's eyes. The Black Cat was smirking, obviously causing his bestfriend's quiet suffering. It's so obvious, with all the changes in the way Ruka moves around the Ice Queen. He bet even Iichou could notice; in fact, since they've all technically grew up with each other, the others might have noticed it already, too. It's not like the two had the Central Town for themselves every time they go out on Saturdays. _Seriously_, Natsume thought to himself, _they just can't be that stupid._

But still, though how much he enjoyed watching his bestfriend do his thing and blush, Ruka's his bestfriend.

"—and so Yoichi—"

"Okay, Polka, shut your mouth up now." Natsume shrugged and pulled the brunette from her bestfriend—who was surprisingly quiet all throughout Mikan's story and didn't even bother to pull her bestfriend back.

"B-but—"

"Just shut up." With one quick pull, Mikan was off Hotaru like an unwanted bubble gum.

Ruka watched the pair squabble away to the depths of the crowd, Mikan squirming like a sentenced fish. As soon as they were out of sight, it was surprisingly peaceful; and he wondered how much attention they got while Mikan was babbling just a while ago.

"You're still going to give me that, right?"

His heart almost jumped to his throat. "U-uhm, y-yes." He mumbled and handed the plate to Hotaru, who then took it without a second thought.

For a moment there he kind of felt like asking if she wanted to know where he got the cake, but watching her elegantly stabbing it with the fork and putting it in her mouth without a word, he shrugged and smiled. Why would it matter anyway?

As she ate halfway through the big slice, she wondered how a plain sponge cake could taste this good. She was pretty sure nothing changed in the recipe over the years—it's still the same class of students who bake it in the first place, changing the recipe would double the effort in baking it—but this slice of cake tasted quite…_different._

"Uhm…I want to ask you something." Ruka blurted out after a while of silence. Hotaru turned to him, stabbing the fork on the cake. "I-Inchou said you talked to the…the _g-guest_."

"The guest talked to me."

"Oh." He mumbled.

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you really want to know?"

He was about to say, _'everything'_, but he stopped himself, almost choking on his words. Clearing his throat, he carefully picked his words. "Uhm…n-nothing."

Clever. Very Clever.

Hotaru's eyes lingered on him for a moment. Of course, he wanted to know; she knew that perfectly. Putting the fork into her mouth, she looked away. She could feel his eyes on her for a few seconds before he, too, looked away.

"I'll tell you soon."

Ruka opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again before turning back to the Ice Queen, completely unsure of what he just heard. Hotaru looked at him, handing back the empty plate. "I'll tell you; but not now."

"B-but…" He mumbled, thoughts running in his mind. He was damn right. It involved him! "How…"

She was about to say something when she suddenly felt cold at the back of her neck. And that's when he touched her—

"Hotaru-nee-chan." A hand held hers from behind. Looking over her shoulder, Hotaru Imai stared at the ash-haired Alice staring back at her. "Let's go dance, Hotaru-nee-chan."

And Ruka Nogi was left dumbfounded. Talk about being slow.

It was Yoichi, apparently in his plus-ten-years form. He was pretty much as tall as Ruka, and Hotaru cursed inwardly about being _this_ inferior to men. Who said height doesn't matter?

"Let's dance, Hotaru-nee-chan." Yoichi said again, not letting go of the Ice Queen's hand. Ruka, who was still trying to find his voice, stiffened when the eleven year old boy (plus ten years in form) looked over Hotaru's shoulders to say to him, "You don't mind if I dance with your girlfriend, right, Ruka-nii-san?"

"Sh-she's—" Hotaru met his blue eyes and he gulped. "…i-it's not the way you think it is, Y-yoichi."

Yoichi raised an eyebrow at him in an innocent doubt. "I always see you together in Central Town during Saturdays." He said and watched his sempai's face go white. "Don't tell me that doesn't mean anything."

Sometimes Ruka wondered if this boy's just eleven. Gulping back his obviously lame retort, he shrugged, convinced how much Natsume influenced Yoichi's brain growth. The boy even got his bestfriend's way of questioning!

"I don't mind." Ruka muttered, bypassing Yoichi's last statement. He just couldn't say those Saturdays didn't mean anything, right?

The boy smiled, triumphant, and then pulled Hotaru's hand. "Don't worry, sempai, I'll give her back to you."

Ruka was about to say something when Yoichi pulled Hotaru away to the dancing, cutting him off in mid-sentence—and probably saving him from further embarrassment. He let out a long sigh, and shrugged. After a moment, he felt a smile tugging on his lips. He definitely should learn something from Yoichi.

* * *

><p>"Why do you wear that ugly mask, Hotaru-nee-chan?"<p>

"It's necessary."

"Why?" Yoichi pushed, twirling the Ice Queen once.

"Because people will see me."

"You're afraid of people?"

"I'm not afraid of anything."

"But you don't want people to see you?"

Hotaru Imai bit her tongue, reminding herself that this wasn't Ruka Nogi she's dancing with that she could just hit right away. This was an _eleven _year-old boy. She sighed. Looking around her, she spotted a familiar crowd with placards and screaming banners with her name on red, bold, print. "See them?" She said to Yoichi, who then followed her line of sight. "Those are species I don't like; they shouldn't see me."

"Oh." The boy mumbled. "Ruka-nii-san hides from fans, too."

For some reason, she smirked under the mask. "A lot."

"M-hmn." Yoichi nodded. "He said he enjoys chasing you far better than getting chased by fan girls." She raised an eyebrow and watched the boy's face scrunch in slight confusion for a second. "I don't get it. Both are tiring."

When she checked herself, her cheeks felt warm; good thing she's wearing the full-faced, _ugly_, mask.

"You'll understand when you grow up." She muttered.

That ought to end the conversation, but Yoichi rolled his eyes. "I _grow up_ a thousand times every day. I still don't get it."

Hotaru shook her head, smirking. It was quiet for a moment, and the music played on its last chorus as it approached its end. Suddenly, Yoichi leaned down a bit, his voice lowering. "If I tell you a secret, you won't tell anyone, right?"

Ah. Hotaru Imai _loves_ secrets. Another reason why the full-faced mask was good?—it hid the money symbols in her eyes.

"Of course."

Yoichi nodded and leaned down to her ear as the music played the last staccato, and ended on a high E. Yoichi straightened up, a smirk on his lips. "Don't tell anyone, alright, Hotaru-nee-chan?"

"Uh…Yoichi?"

Both turned to look at the dashing blond slowly approaching them. He didn't have a mask, she noticed.

"Hi, Ruka-nii-san." Yoichi waved tersely at his sempai, which looked quite weird since the boy moves pretty much like Natsume does, and courtesy didn't look so fitting. "We were talking about you."

Ruka flushed, unsure of what to say. "Uh…great?"

Hotaru just stared at him, and his face turned deeper red.

"Oh. Right." Yoichi said, letting go of the Ice Queen. "Your turn now, Ruka-nii-san."

Yoichi half-smiled at Hotaru, bowing a little, before turning into his eleven year-old form and walked away. The two stood there for a moment, both staring at Yoichi's back. The music had started again, and more people were dancing.

Ruka was cleared his throat and started to sort his words before turning to her when his hand suddenly felt warm. His neck almost snapped when he saw her hand around his.

"Are you going to borrow my hand tonight?"

Even with the ugly mask on her face, he could somehow sense the slight smirk on her lips. Feeling the warm sensation of her touch, he felt himself relax a bit, a smile creeping up. "Yes." He said, holding her hand and intertwining their fingers as he held it up; his other hand pulling her close gently by the waist. Ruka was glad the music wasn't slow; at least he could play it cool. No doubt he'd start blushing if they had to dance all romantic and stuff.

"Take off your mask." He said.

"Why would I want to do that." It was barely a question; there was no way she'd comply to that.

Ruka looked around, and spotted the familiar crowd creeping among the bystanders as they _hunted _for their _prey._ Jerking his head toward the 'hated species', he said, "So that _they_ would know we're dancing with each other. And they won't bother anymore."

Hotaru paused but didn't move. However, Ruka was more than just persistent. Moving his hand from her waist, he gently pulled off her full-faced, ugly, mask and threw it over his shoulder. With his eyes adjusting to the sudden glow—yes, cheesy as it is—Ruka smiled.

"What's with the stupid grin, Nogi?"

He bit his gum, fighting back the smile as he twirled her once with the music. "N-nothing."

"You're smiling like an idiot."

Ruka cleared his throat, collecting himself as he held her gently by the waist again. "I'm just thinking about Yoichi." He lied.

She raised an eyebrow, obviously unconvinced. But she shrugged, choosing to play his game. "Is that so?"

He nodded.

"We talked about you a while ago."

She watched the rapid change of color on his face. "Wh-what—"

"Nothing in particular." She smirked, answering his stuttered question.

Ruka paused, furrowed his brows, and narrowed his eyes at the Ice Queen. "Why do you enjoy making me feel uncomfortable?"

Hotaru Imai felt her smirk widening as she raised an eyebrow at him again. "Very well phrased." She said. "I didn't realize it sounds as amusing as it is done."

He sighed, giving up, and twirling her once again.

Hotaru watched him for a moment. Though he wasn't already smiling, there was a slight glint in his eyes that only comes out when he's happy. Most of the time, the best time to make fun of him is when he's happy. Talk about being evil.

"You didn't eat your cake, did you?" She said, and watched his blue eyes go wide for a moment before going back to normal.

"I—"

"You gave your share to Yoichi."

"W-well, I—I didn't exactly give it to—"

"He said you got two slices." She said, cutting him off.

Ruka let out a quiet sigh. "Yes, I got two."

"I just want to make sure you didn't make me eat a poisoned cake from a fan."

That made him double take at her, a snicker coming out involuntarily. "From a—a fan?"

Hotaru glared at him. "I want to make sure you didn't beg it from one of your sick fan girls."

Either because of the way she said 'sick fan girls' or the complete absurdity of her point, Ruka laughed, apparently getting cut off again when the Ice Queen stomped on his foot. "What's so funny, Bunny boy?"

With his face still flushed from fighting off a laughing fit, Ruka muttered, "Sorry.", and looked back at her.

She raised an eyebrow.

He sighed. "I-I asked some of my animal friends to save a slice for you." Her face was skeptical. "But Yoichi gave his share to Mikan. So…"

There was a pause, and Hotaru stared at his coat for a moment before saying, "So I ate the one contaminated with animal fur."

"I-It's not contamina—" Her eyes bore down on him and he shrugged, looking away from her eyes as he muttered, "I gave you my share."

When realization sunk in, a small Hotaru in her mind blew the trumpet. "That explains it." She muttered, more to herself than to anyone else.

"Uh, explains what?"

"The taste." She said without thinking, which surprised her too, by the way. "It tasted different."

Ruka wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he just smiled. "You seemed to enjoy it, though."

For some reason, she felt herself smiling.

As if on cue, the music switched to a slow Canon in D, and both started to dance slowly. Neither said a word, their eyes directed on anything but on each other. But then as the song approached its last crescendo, Ruka looked down at her.

"You have to know." He said, and she looked up. "You should smile often."

It took Hotaru a moment to say find her voice. Keeping up the calm expression on her face, she replied, "If you're just saying that to make me smile right now like how it works in the movies, it won't work on me."

He bit his gum, and tried to fight back the urge to laugh—to no avail. This time, however, she just watched him flush as he snickered, feeling the familiar tugging on her own lips. Her past Christmas Balls weren't like this, yes; but she'd never been to any party that's as amusing as now.

Ruka wiped off a tear from his eye with his sleeve after a minute, his face still flushed from chortling, before looking back at her. "Sorry about that."

Hotaru rolled her eyes.

"Imai?" He said after a moment, and she met his eyes again. "Merry Christmas."

Their eyes bored on each other, and he watched the small smile creeping up on her lips as she replied. "Merry Christmas."

* * *

><p>AN: There! I hope I used the right honorifics. I researched about it, and used it the way I understood what I read. ;P  
>care to leave a review? FLAMES? Go! Just let me know. Thanks for reading! :D<p>

P.S.

I'll do my best to update soon! I have the plots already, I just hope it won't take me so long to finish the next chapter. lol.

THanks again! :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Saturdays with the Ice Queen**

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><p>AN: Phew! It's been a really loooong time since the last chapter, isn't it? sigh. I'm really sorry for the very long delay, I got so busy with things like school and all... I finished this chapter a few days ago, but was having second thoughts if it's okay already. But I didn't have anything else to write anyway, so I decided I should update already.

Also, I'm afraid I used one character from the manga for this chapter only. WARNING! OOC involved!  
>He's...well, quite crucial actually for this chap to work out-I didn't have any alternative, so...yeah. You might want to read his bio first:<p>

Hayate Matsudaira

Hayate is a Dangerous Ability type. He possesses the wind Alice He is a third year student in the Middle School Division and he's in the same class with Tsubasa. He also has an extremely huge crush on Hotaru.  
>Hayate thinks Hotaru looks a lot like a game character he really used to love as a child named "Cool Blue Sky". Rui had once said something along the lines of Hayate liking cute guys, but it has not been confirmed yet (he might be a lolishotacon).  
>Because of saving Hotaru from the school (chapter 98), Hayate cannot go back to the Dangerous Ability Class anymore. As a request from Kakitsubata, Hayate is now allowed to stay in Hanahime-den.<p>

**He only appears in the manga.**

SOURCE: .org/wiki/List_of_Gakuen_Alice_characters#Hayate_Matsudaira

ANnnyYwaaay... this chapter is what I like to call a 'transition chapter'. It'll kind of set off a slight conflict/core topic for the next chapters. Tell me what you think about the other character, about the whole chapter. If it's boring...well, I can't really blame you. But let me know alright? Flames? Very welcome. ;P

Okay! Here it is! Thanks for even bothering! :D

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: The Sixth Saturday: <strong>D I S L I K E<strong>

* * *

><p>His knees almost buckled; his chest about to explode; yet stopping now would mean destruction. He could feel his sweat dripping down his back, his flushed face. He's dead tired—tired from running, from hiding. His fellowmen have fallen; his co-species off on their own. As much as they wanted to help each other, it's going dangerous. His bestfriend?—well, let's just say that he always had things under control.<p>

He headed for the next sharp turn, hoping for a safe haven after an hour of running. Finally making it, he almost tripped when another herd of _enemies_ surprised him. Cursing under his breath, he ran the other way, trying to get faster as possible.

"Ruka-sama!"— their voices loud and clear as they followed his trails — "Please accept my chocolates!" — "Ruka-kun they're for you!" — "…don't run away from us!"

Oh, yes. A horde of fan girls in a bright, sunny, day of February—what more could be scarier than Valentine's Day?

It was already a couple of hours past noon, and the sun wasn't helping. He's been running and hiding and running again in rapid intervals since early in the morning—trying to get away from the _'unwanted species'_.

Spotting a clear coast, he ran to the middle school dormitory, making it just in time before the mob could get to the last turn he made. Gripping the concrete like holding onto the last fiber of hope, he threw himself into hiding.

"Wonderful day, I suppose?"

His body moved on impulse, adrenaline rushing for self-preservation upon hearing the voice. And when he looked up and met the familiar purple eyes, he thought about the thousand ways this person could be a lot scarier than Valentine's Day.

"H-hotaru…" He blurted out, breathless and exhausted.

She raised an eyebrow at the use of her first name. Surprisingly though, she didn't mind. Zeroing on the beaten blond holding onto the concrete wall of the building, she watched him sigh in relief and land on the ground. Just so she thought she could control herself if she'd see him on this day, she found herself starting a conversation. "What're you doing here?"

Ruka Nogi took a moment to catch his breath before looking up to the Ice Queen staring at him stoically. "H-hiding."

She smirked.

He frowned. "Not now, Imai." He muttered and looked away, his breath not evening. She didn't say anything; and for some reason, Ruka didn't feel good about saying that. Taking a deep breath, he looked back at her. "Y-you?"

"What me…"

It barely sounded like a question, but Ruka didn't look away. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

Hotaru stared at him for a moment before looking away from his eyes. "I'm looking for an invention."

That sounded really weird to him, so he just shrugged and didn't say anything.

When she looked back at him, he almost shrunk. Her eyes bore down on him, every minute of it felt really disorienting. And it got worse when she slowly walked closer and gracefully squatted on his side. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again when she moved to pull something from her pocket and hold it to his face.

"Wh-what's that?" He mumbled, staring at the silver thing that looked mechanical and stylish at the same time.

"A bracelet." Hotaru replied and pushed a tiny button on it and it opened. "Wear it."

He blinked. A gift from the Ice Queen's sounded really nice, but she's still the Ice Queen, and that's really scary.

Noting his reluctance, Hotaru rolled her eyes. "It's not chocolate, so don't act like I'm giving you one." He flushed but got cut off when she continued, "It'll keep people you don't like three meters away from you."

"P-people I don't…"

"Including your mob of fans." She cut in again, quite surprised at how the word 'fans' sounded when it came out. "It automatically senses your dislike, and forms a three meter barrier around you to keep them out. It activates as soon as you wear it."

Ruka took it and stared at the thing for a moment, not noticing the Ice Queen rising to her feet. When he looked up, she was already walking away. "B-But Imai—"

She looked over her shoulder. "I'll let you borrow it for a few hours—until sunset."

Ruka watched her back as she walked away before turning to a corner, not once looking back.

* * *

><p>When he stepped out of the shadows, the sun was already high. Among all the Saturdays since this school year started, this was the most tiring of all. Not to mention the fact that they didn't go shopping at Central Town.<p>

Ruka stared the open bracelet for the nth time, and pushed the reluctance away. Taking a deep breath, he moved to wear it. It snapped close like some trap, and he braced himself for any complication; but then he felt nothing.

"There he is!"

His neck almost snapped when he looked over his shoulder, spotting half of the mob behind him. He instinctively ran to his left, but found the other half surprisingly close to him.

"Ruka-sama!"— they yelled and attacked, their nets and chocolates ready; and he closed his eyes, his arms crossed on defense, as he accepted his fate. Suddenly, his wrist tingled with a weird, heavy, sensation…

"I got him!"

"No, _I_ got him!"

"H-hey, move over!"

"Wait, th-there's something wrong with my—!"

"Hey, I can't catch him!"

Ruka Nogi felt the shiver run down his spine.

"Wh-what's wrong with my net?"

_They can't touch me?_

"What's happening?"

"Hey, do something!"

He couldn't feel anything beyond normal; but he knew the mob was still around him—he could hear them arguing as they tried to get to him. Daring to open his eyes, he saw the mob struggling against an invisible force. They were too many, he noticed; just too many girls surrounding him. But within the three meter radius, he was safe.

And he's never been this thankful to the Ice Queen.

Grabbing the chance, he ran away, shoving the mob into half as he headed to the one place he should be today—if not anywhere else: Central Town.

* * *

><p>Hotaru Imai just hates pink.<p>

Let Venus and Cupid hunt her hell she cared—she just wasn't fond of the pinkness of Valentines.

She was walking on the streets of the one town she could stroll around for ages now, allowing her mind to drift into anything when the topic crossed her mind. She didn't really have anything against Valentine's Day; but no matter how hard she tried to ignore, she just couldn't help but notice how…_cheesy _everything was—pink curtains draped on pink window panes; pink balloons and pink roses on the stalls; and banners with pink hearts. Most girls love everything about the day; but she simply didn't feel as strongly as they do. There were times in the past when she participated, yes, but since his brother graduated, she didn't feel the necessity. Sometimes she wondered how frigid she could get—not that it mattered so much, maybe just a little.

An hour of strolling had already passed, but she still hadn't purchased anything. She wondered about that, too; she's usually very, very, _very¸ _prepared. Now she didn't even have a shopping list!

Her eyebrow twitched into a slight frown—this is _all_ because of Bunny boy.

Turning for the corner to Michel's store, the Ice Queen almost—just almost—tripped on her own shoe when a familiar guy who was grinning at her like an idiot blocked her way.

"Cool Blue Sky!"

She raised an eyebrow. Now she _hates_ this day.

The boy—or that's how she thought he was acting like though he was obviously a graduate already—had a messy black hair that was too boyish for his stature. He was in slightly formal attire, though his long sleeves were folded by his elbow—all in all quite executive-looking.

"Hey!" The guy waved his arms to get her attention. "Don't you remember me Cool Blue Sky?"

Actually, she did remember him—and it's really annoying her.

"Who are you?"

The guy's face crumpled in sheer frustration and heartbreak—for a moment making Hotaru Imai proud of herself—but then immediately recovered. With that big grin on his face, he pointed a finger to himself and said, "It's me!"

Hotaru stared at him blankly, quick forgotten memories flashing in her mind involuntarily. After a while of waiting, she said, "Oh.", her face unwaveringly stoic and ever bored. "…you."

* * *

><p>Ruka Nogi felt really, really tired; but at least he's quite safe now. He had been walking down the familiar streets for a while now, every now and then checking if the ground's clear from the, uh, <em>'unwanted species'<em>. Fortunately, though, Central Town seemed to become a common ground not for the mob but for the _taken_ _ones_. Although he really didn't care so much, he still found himself staring at some couples enjoying the pinkness of Valentine's.

Unconsciously, his pace slowed down. For some reason, all those pink Valentine thingamabobs reminded him of the Ice Queen…which was pretty stupid and ironic 'cause he somehow knew she hated pink; Or maybe Valentine's Day, too, for that matter.

He paused, chiding himself for thinking about her _again._ He really should master self-control. But since she's gotten into his mind already, it was pretty difficult to get her out of it.

The blond Alice sighed. There's no way denying it—unless he'd lie to himself. There's something more than just what he feels on the surface. He didn't wish for it to happen, nor did he plan it. As much as he could remember a few years ago, the Ice Queen's simply_ the _nuisance blackmailer of his life—if not one of his closest friends. She's Mikan's bestfriend and all, and though there was little interaction, he was pretty sure they're friends.

But now was quite different. And as much as he tried to deny it, it's gotten stronger.

Holding up his wrist, he looked at the neatly designed bracelet she had lent him. Though she didn't say anything more than what was necessary to help him, he couldn't help but think that she was there when he was…well, hopeless.

Cliché' indeed, but can you blame him? Cupid hit the bull's eye.

Looking around him, he found himself on the street of Michel's store. He didn't stop walking, but didn't rush his pace either. He could perfectly see the store at the end of the street, and his heart suddenly did its wonderful furious beating.

_What if she wasn't here afterall? _He gulped, and resolved on thinking that he ought to pay Michel a visit. He's a friend anyway; he won't need an extra Ice Queen Gate pass just to see him.

When he reached the store, he pushed the door open before he could even stop himself.

And that's when he gulped back his heart.

* * *

><p>Hotaru Imai stared at the obviously stricken blond holding the door open like he was frozen in time. Though she quite imagined that maybe—<em>just maybe<em>—he would come just like the last time she went shopping alone, she couldn't really believe it now.

Besides, it's Valentine's day; Ruka Nogi's _always_ busy on Valentine's Day.

"You!"—thanks to Hayate Matsudaira for breaking the moment. Sigh.

The Ice Queen glared at the dark haired boy before looking back at the blond, her face masked. Doing a quick once-over, she noticed that he was unusually…_worn_; there on his wrist was the silver bracelet. His eyes were the bluest blue as always, but she didn't miss the slight confusion as he looked at the idiot standing beside her.

"Uh…hi?" He mumbled, closing the door behind him.

Hayate pointed at the Ruka, purely surprised. "You're the b-blond Flower Princess boy!"

Ruka Nogi flushed. Being labeled with a _flower name_—Himawari No Kimi—and get a free membership to be a _Flower Princess_? That's a memory he had already locked into the deepest vault and never wanted to remember! He wanted to shrink at that very moment, and he was pretty much aware of the Ice Queen's eyes on him. But when he dared to glance, she didn't seem to be enjoying the encounter too.

Ruka looked back to the dark haired senpai he so well remembered now. "And you're the chore boy at the Hana Hime. The guy in the D.A. with the wind Alice."

"Ch-chore boy—?"

"A-and you're…" Ruka cut in, surprisingly feeling quite calm and curious now as he dared a glance at the Ice Queen. "…H-hotaru's stalker."

Hayate flushed. "I-it's not like—w-wait, you called her by name!"

It was Ruka's turn to flush. Glancing at the quiet Ice Queen, he opened his mouth to reply, "I-I…well." He gulped. "Wh-what're you doing here, anyway?"

As fast as Hayate panicked, his face switched into a sudden proud grin. "I was visiting the Middle School Division—on official business actually, but still—and so I decided to visit my Cool Blue Sky." He said, casually putting an arm around her shoulder.

And that was it. His left wrist tingled with a weird, heavy, sensation. But before Ruka could even react to the fresh feeling, he was saved by a booming voice coming out from the storage room.

"Young man!"

For some reason, Ruka was thankful he didn't get to answer.

Ruka Nogi turned to smile at the man approaching the counter. "Hello, Michel."

Hotaru watched the blond walk closer to the counter. Mentally calculating the distance between them, she started to hear her heart beating in her ears. Her eyes bore on the bracelet he was wearing, and every calm step he took didn't feel any comforting to her. Unusual, yes, for her to feel this way; but knowing the reason would probably explain everything.

She designed that bracelet for a purpose.

She didn't really plan anything; she was even reluctant. But when she saw him cross her path at some random time on Valentine's Day while thinking about this bracelet, she decided to act without giving it another thought: she gave it to him.

Now she'll find out if her suspicions are true or mere delusions. The problem was that she wasn't even sure if she wanted to know.

Ruka stopped by the counter, roughly three meters away from where she was standing. Michel put down a couple of heavy bags on the floor, stretched his arms, and glanced at the Ice Queen with that smile she knew too well. "Then I guess I won't charge you for the delivery services. Right, Ms. Imai?"

"You asked for those to be delivered?" Hayate suddenly broke her train of thoughts. He had been babbling about his years in the Hana Hime den not as a _'chore boy' _but as an _'assistant'. _But she was too busy to listen; so were Ruka and Michel. So flashing him the daggers in just one glance, the dark-haired guy paused. "B-but I can—"

"Here you go, Ruka." Michel said, lifting up a couple of bags onto the counter, as if not hearing Hayate's babbling.

Hotaru remained quiet and observant. Michel's statement barely sounded like a question, she noticed, because he was already grinning at the blond like an amused, proud, father to a son.

"W-wait!" Hayate cut in again; apparently oblivious that nobody was really paying attention to him. Ruka and Michel looked at him, the Ice Queen barely glancing. Hayate cleared his throat, flicked a hand, and the two heavy plastic bags flew from Ruka's hands to float right on his side. He didn't miss the slight change in the other two's eyes, and he smirked. Oh, he loved his Alice. "I'll take care of them." He said, gaining the other three's empty stare. "A-and, uh, you can go now, Nogi."

For some reason, Ruka felt a weak curve creeping up on his lips; he was just too tired to argue with this guy. Besides, it's not exactly his nature to argue. Turning to look at Hotaru straight in the eyes, he regarded to her. "Is there any other place you need to go to?"

Hotaru stared at his tired, submissive expression. Keeping her emotions at bay, she shook her head. Ruka didn't say anything at that; but when he smiled, she didn't miss the slight change in his eyes.

Ruka turned to Michel, who seemed to understand right away. The man put two more bags on the counter, smiled, and then turned to the Ice Queen. "I guess you just earned yourself free instant delivery, Ms. Imai."

* * *

><p>"—and so I told him that—"<p>

Hotaru Imai fought the urge to gag this guy's mouth. He'd been babbling non-stop about this and that—who knows what they're all about—since they left Michel's store. And at the back of her mind she wondered if Mikan's and Hayate's virus are somehow related.

She knew it was pretty unfair and rude to ignore him; he just wanted to help…

But he's annoying! The most she could tolerate was one babbling bestfriend. Anyone babbling like that was the last thing in her mind right now.

"…they're pretty heavy you know." She heard him say.

Not even glancing at the dark-haired guy, she muttered, "You can put them down."

"Nah." Hayate shrugged, oblivious to the Ice Queen's daggers. "What I meant was that they're too heavy for a girl like you." Hotaru couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that, still not looking at the guy. "Do you often go shopping like this?"

For some reason, that made her think about that _first_ Saturday. Bunny boy asked her that.

And that was enough for her mind to drift away again. She wondered if he was listening—he was only three or more meters behind them, anyway, just enough to hear Hayate's loud babbling. And despite that logical part of her brain screaming, she still wondered if he had plans to walk closer; or if he wanted to. Besides, he's wearing the bracelet.

"Cool Blue Sky?"

"Stop calling me that, idiot." She mumbled flatly.

"Geez. I was just asking you if you wanted some howalons."

She paused. Now she wondered if Cupid and Venus were already playing pranks on her. Apparently, Hayate took that silence as a 'yes', and he put down the bags from the air to the ground and jogged to the nearby Howalon stand, leaving her and the blond in an awkward silence. Thankfully though, it was a chance to look over her shoulder.

The blond Alice stopped at the same distance from her, his eyes followed Hayate's back. His face was convincingly blank, she noticed, though she was pretty sure he was already exhausted.

Ruka Nogi put the bags down, still staring at the dark-haired senpai waiting for his turn on the line for a box of howalon. Letting out a quiet sigh, he refused to think about assumptions he didn't want to dwell with. Like Hayate's Alice, for example, which was really helpful now, compared to his bare arms that really weren't that…used to physical activities.

"You could've just allowed that brat to 'carry' those."

The blond turned to look at the Ice Queen's blank face. That would've hurt a bit, what she just said, but he managed a shrug. "It's a Saturday."

For some reason, she found herself smirking at that; it sounded so fitting and convincing that it almost answered all the questions rumbling in her mind.

Ruka didn't miss that small curve playing on her lips, and it somehow made him feel fine; though the undercurrent of issues didn't leave him alone. With his heart racing steadily, he stared at Hayate who was already talking to the vendor. "His Alice is very nice…"

Hotaru blinked, followed his sight, but stared at his face instead. "Don't even think about it, Nogi."

For some reason, a weak smile crept from the corners of his mouth. It would've looked good, a smile is still a smile, but she didn't miss the slight bitterness in his naturally peaceful eyes. "I can't help it." He cut in her thoughts. "It's—compared to mine—"

"Your Alice is great."

The blond almost bit his tongue, and the most he could do was look at her. Opening his mouth to say something, he found himself shrugging instead—completely dumbfounded. What she said, about his Alice…he often got reminded about that. But sometimes, times like now maybe, he didn't think so…

The Ice Queen, on the other hand, was quite sick of his…_insecurity_. That might sound really insane since, hey, that's Ruka Nogi we're talking about here—that face right there just couldn't have anything to make him feel insecure about. Apparently, if there's one—just one—thing he wasn't quite confident about, it's his Alice. She knew about that, though he never really that to her; and now _this._

'_Seriously_, she thought, _he_ _really shouldn't be comparing himself to anyone…_' Looking at the dark-haired guy walking back to them, Hotaru Imai shrugged. _'Especially to him.'_

But there are other things she wondered about at the moment, aside from Ruka Nogi's stupid insecurity. Turning back to the blond patiently standing a good three meters from her, she switched to another mode, refusing to listen to her thoughts' reluctant screaming. "How is it?"

Ruka followed her eyes on the bracelet, and he couldn't help but break into a weak smile. "Oh." He muttered. "It's great. Thanks."

Hotaru stared at her neat design on his left wrist, and mentally agreed how _great _it was. She designed it—she perfectly knew it was effective; and she somehow proved that now with his distance…Or so she thought.

"Okay, let's go." Hayate grinned and floated the box of Howalons along with the two heavy bags on the air.

* * *

><p>"And so—"<p>

"I'm pretty sure visiting hours is over now."

Hayate snickered at that, not really noticing that he's being 'shooed' away already. "Nah." He grinned. "It's pretty easy to go around when you're in D.A."

"You're not in D.A. anymore, idiot."

Hayate chuckled at that, very much amused that the Ice Queen's participating—though Hotaru Imai felt exactly the opposite. Ruka? Well, let's just say that he's in a situation he'd rather not be in. Who'd want to listen to the babbling anyway? He'd rather walk quiet and peaceful, no matter how heavy the bags he was carrying; than _this_. But he couldn't just leave, right?

They're already approaching the girls' dormitory, the sun almost setting.

"Yeah, well." Hayate said and shrugged. "I heard they still give the same VIP treatment to that bastard Black Cat. That guy's really annoying, you know. Too full of himself and just so—"

Ruka Nogi's eyebrow twitched. Another straw.

"What was that?" He cut in.

Hayate cut in short from what he was saying and stopped walking just as they reached the top stairs of the main entrance of the building; then he turned to look over his shoulder to the blond Alice. "I said that _that _Black Cat's annoying, and too full of himself."

Ruka stopped exactly three meters away from him, feeling his exhaustion mixing up with…other feelings he so wanted to control now but finding it really difficult. "You don't know him."

"Well, I do!" The dark-haired senpai said. "We'd been doing missions together—which was pretty unfortunate, I should say. I've always wanted to see him get punished everytime he disobeyed orders and—" Hayate cut himself short, quite surprised when Ruka dared to step closer in that very uncharacteristic manner.

"You don't know Natsume."

"What're you whining about anyway?" Hayate frowned, sensing a one-sided battle. "You're just—"

"Shut up." The two boys turned to the seemingly forgotten boss. Hotaru Imai was half-turning towards them, watching and unnoticed by the proud male specie. Hayate opened his mouth to say something, but got cut in by her again. "I said shut up, you idiot."

The Ice Queen looked from Hayate's incredulous expression, to Bunny Boy's face flushed with fury. Ruka met her eyes for a fraction of a second, and then he looked away.

"I don't want to hear anything from either of you." She said and then looked at Hayate. "You can leave now."

"B-but—"

"…the both of you." She cut in, glancing at Ruka, too. She's got enough of his distance anyway. It's…confusing her more than anything. Besides, if her assumptions had been correct, then there's no more reason to oblige him with everything she does; no point for another Saturday… "Just leave those things right there."

Ruka couldn't read her. That's not supposed to surprise him, but he always had a way around her mask. It's just… He sighed, his hands clenching on the bags stubbornly. "I don't want to."

Hotaru stared back at him. "You know perfectly you'd rather do as I say."

Ruka flushed and opened his mouth, but got cut off by Hayate. "B-but Cool Blue Sky—" He gulped when the daggers flashed his way. "I-I can't just leave these here; h-how—y-you can't—"

"You don't know me enough to say they're too heavy for me." The Ice Queen said to him. This guy…well, he was never part of the day's plan; he just popped in and now…_this._ She didn't want to be unfair to anyone, but…well, she wanted to be unfair to him right now. With her glare boring down on him, Hayate finally shut up, the bags slowly lowering down.

Hotaru didn't wait for them to leave; that'd be troublesome. So turning her back on them, she left the two guys and went inside.

* * *

><p>Hotaru Imai woke up pretty late the next day. You can't really blame her; its Sunday.<p>

Going over her morning routine—that which didn't exactly include the Bunny Boy chasing—before breakfast, she took her time rummaging through random things in her room; Blueprints, designs—anything to keep her from thinking about yesterday.

Yesterday was…well, pretty frustrating. Come to think of it, Valentine's Day has always been quite a stressful day. Though not for her exactly, she decided. However it is, yesterday was different. It was…

She blinked. Now she's thinking about it again.

Letting out a quiet sigh, she brushed her hair one last time and headed for the door. Calmly turning the knob, and slowly swinging the door, she suddenly stopped on her tracks to look at the loads by the doormat.

Bending down over the familiar bags of supplies from Michel's store, she picked up a note and read it:

'_I wanted to follow you when you left, but these bags are heavy. I'm sorry I don't have the Wind Alice._

_P.S._

_Next time you go shopping, don't ask anyone else; tell me.' – Ruka_

* * *

><p>AN: There! If you're reading this, then the next step is to click that pretty little button down there and leave a review. lol. Kidding! ;P  
>But I'd really appreciate it if you'd review. haha!<p>

I'll update soon! Promise! :D

Ja!


	7. Chapter 7

**Saturdays with the Ice Queen**

* * *

><p>AN: Heyah people! I'm back, and here's chapter7! I finished this faster than the previous one, actually, but I allowed it to ferment for a while, editing it every now and then until I got tired of reading my work over and over again. haha!

Thanks for all the reviews, by the way! I'm elated! xD

So here it is! I hope you'll enjoy it. If not, then feel free to 'tell' me! Flames? Go ahead. ;P

Okaaay! :D

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: The Seventh Saturday: <strong>S U R P R I S E S<strong>

* * *

><p><em><strong>M a r c h 9<strong>_

"_There." Ruka Nogi boxed an answer and pushed the paper to his activity partner. _

_His partner stared at the paper. "The derivative of 9 is zero."_

_The blond's eyebrows furrowed, and looking back at the paper, he let out a quiet groan and mumbled to himself, "Why do I always get this one wrong?"_

_Iinchou smiled one of his I-think-I-know-something kind of smile that's neither curious nor intrusive, just…knowing. Looking down at the paper, he scribbled the rest of the solution. "I think your mind is elsewhere, Ruka-kun."_

_The blond Alice shrugged, blinking at the abstract patterns of their desk. He wasn't really thinking about anything else other than the activity, his partner, and why it was Iinchou._

_Not that he didn't like the guy—the class rep's a really, really brilliant activity partner especially in Calculus—it's just that, since Natsume's partnered with Mikan, it seemed to have become quite natural to partner him with—_

"_Sensei!" The brunette raised her hand and the Calculus teacher looked at her. "Why isn't Ruka-pyon partnered with Hotaru?"_

_Oh, yes..._

_There was a slight fuss in the class, a few howling and giggles, and Ruka felt the urge to shrink. Clearing his throat, he resolved to staring at the activity paper, thinking and rethinking about the mathematical symbols that suddenly didn't make any sense to him now. Thankfully though, their teacher waved off Mikan's question, finally evening out the atmosphere back to normal._

_However, with Iinchou doing the rest of the solutions, Ruka Nogi's mind drifted elsewhere—starting at the silver bracelet on his left wrist._

_It's been almost a month already since she lent the bracelet to him. Valentine's Day started out real bad, with all the running and hiding, but it should've gone quite well if it hadn't because of some…other things that came and went. He really didn't want to think about that day again, he'd been to hours of wondering since she walked away that afternoon…_

_Looking over his shoulder as he dared a peek, and almost jumped when Iinchou spoke and broke his reverie:_

"_I think I've seen that one a few months ago…"_

_Ruka paused, and then stared at his partner. "What—wh-hat do you mean?"_

"_That bracelet you're wearing." Iinchou replied, looking up from the paper to his eyes. "I've seen Hotaru working on that for a whole month."_

_Of all things he could've said, Ruka mumbled, "That long?"_

_Iinchou chuckled at that, looking back to the paper as he checked the solutions. "It's really surprising if it took her that long to finish an invention, considering how she could make…possibly anything she could think about. But—" He paused, taking time to erase one wrong part of the solution before continuing. "…I don't think it took her that long to finish it. I'd rather think that…"_

_When it took Iinchou another minute to write, Ruka prodded, "That…?" _

"_Oh." Iinchou blinked and straightened up, looking over his shoulder as he glanced at the raven-haired Alice sitting at the back with her partner. "I-I think it just took her a long time to decide if…if she's going to use it."_

_Ruka took the chance to follow Iinchou's line of sight, and saw the Ice Queen calmly watching her partner scribble on the paper, her chin propped on her palm._

"_H-how…" Ruka muttered, not really sure what to say. "Why?"_

_Iinchou shrugged, staring back at their activity paper. "I don't know. I remember asking her what it's for, and she simply said she wanted to try something."_

"_Th-that's…" Ruka gulped. "…quite scary."_

_Iinchou chuckled. "I don't think it's anything dangerous. If you ask me, I think that she…" he paused, picking his words. "…simply wanted to verify something, I don't know. She could really be quite scientific at certain things."_

_Ruka blinked, looking back at Iinchou. "A-and it involves me?"_

_Noticing his friend's expression, Iinchou waved his hands in front of him dismissively. "H-hey, I-I'm really not sure, you know. I-it's just a guess. Like I said, I-I don't think it's anything d-dangerous." Looking at Ruka's incredulous face, he bowed apologetically before continuing. "Hey, it can be anything. I might be wrong. Besides…" He patted Ruka on the shoulder, sweat-dropped. "Hotaru doesn't really…speak about her inventions so much, right?"_

_Daring another glance over his shoulder, his eyes met hers. Feeling the familiar tingling of his senses, he managed to look away and smile at his friend. "Right…"_

_But he was feeling quite the opposite. He knew that there's something going on in the Ice Queen's head. And if that 'something' has anything to do with him, then he definitely has to know._

* * *

><p><em><strong>A w e e k l a t e r…<strong>_

Hotaru Imai stared at the blond guy gaping at her by the door approximately three meters from her. Trying to ignore those cute, drowsy eyes, she raised an eyebrow. "Are just gonna stare at me like that the whole day?"

Ruka Nogi flushed, but his blood felt like ice cold water. "I-I'm not staring!"

But he was, in fact, staring at her. He just couldn't help it! He was simply caught off guard—that ought to explain why. He was in the middle of dreaming when someone came knocking on the door at seven in the morning. SEVEN. Who would want wake up before seven in a _Saturday_ morning, and knock on someone else's door _knowing _that he might still be _sleeping soundly_? Besides, why would that someone stand so far from the door as if he had some kind of sickness?

"Of course you are." She cut in his reverie.

The blond Alice gulped back his retort, his senses now waking up. He's still pretty sleepy; he stayed up late last night thinking about…well, about the things Iinchou told him. The guy's not sure, yeah, but still—he had to know the things running in the Ice Queen's mind, specifically, about the bracelet. She's pretty unpredictable, yes; like now, for example. After roughly a month of few interactions, here she is, standing outside his room at seven in the morning and demanding him not to stare…

"You have five minutes." Hotaru said.

"But—"

"Go get yourself ready." She cut in. "…before I think about taking pictures of you in your pajamas."

Ruka blinked; the last time she did that to him, it resulted to a fan girl riot that forced him to miss a major quiz just to avoid it. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again when she raised an eyebrow at him, uncrossing her arms. "I'll wait downstairs."

He didn't get the chance to say something. Staring at her back until she turned for the staircase, his mind quickly scanned the little times that they'd been physically close to each other, noting that since Valentine's day, he could only recall one moment—and that's when she lent him the bracelet.

He blinked, feeling a lot more confused now.

* * *

><p>She could feel his eyes boring down her back as she walked ahead of him, leading the way to…nowhere, actually. She didn't need to buy supplies yet. Well, she didn't need to go anywhere but her room; but apparently, she had to go to Central town with him…<p>

Hotaru Imai's eyebrow twitched—she had no idea it could sound as mushy as that; she simply did it because, this time, Mikan wanted her to for reasons that…well, nobody's supposed to know until tonight.

Now she had to bear the stupidity of inviting someone to go wherever. She didn't even know what to tell him if he'd ask why. Not answering would give him the reasons to jump into conclusions—thus the tendency to be quite humiliating since he'd be free to think about absolutely _anything_ that would somehow give him a reason why the Ice Queen woke him at seven in the morning, and go to Central Town with her.

Forgive the hysterics—they're still well-kept inside, though. From the outside, Hotaru Imai's looking very, very, calm.

Ruka, on the other hand, was quietly trailing behind her. He wasn't even wondering where they're headed to. Letting out another yawn, he tried to fight-off the drowsiness, considering the fact that _this day_ has a tendency to be pretty much like how Valentine's Day is every year. It's good that it's a Saturday; going out to someplace away from the School grounds would be nice… Plus, he's wearing the bracelet. He'd be safe from the, uh…'unwanted species'.

It's around noon already, apparently the hours of walking and sitting and not talking tired him more than anything else. He hadn't even had a breakfast!

They were walking to an ancient tree, him following her lead. The silence didn't bother him so much, really; but it caused him to think about a lot of things he'd rather not think about. Like, why she's walking so far from him when in fact they've always walked side by side on the previous Saturdays they spent together—things like that. Adding up to the undercurrent of concerns running in his mind, was the tugging feeling of curiosity and suspicion he couldn't contain anymore.

"Imai…"

No answer.

Ruka considered that maybe today's not the right time. But then he thought about the whole week he wasted in wondering and not doing anything; he even slept late last night because of this. If he had to know, then now's his chance.

"Hey…"

"What?"

He gulped. His heart raced, suddenly feeling really hot though the sun was barely peeking from behind the big clouds. Exhaling out his chickening, he stared straight at her back as though staring at her eyes. "Wh-why did you let me borrow the bracelet?"

Hotaru almost tripped, and Ruka didn't miss that.

After a while, he heard her answer, "No reason."

"You always have a reason." He said, very much unconvinced.

The Ice Queen wished she could hit him already, but somehow she didn't feel like doing it. Unconsciously walking a bit faster, she turned to another corner; and she could hear his quickening pace as he continued to trail behind her.

"Hey."

She could perfectly hear him, but she continued walking, suddenly missing her flying duck that would've served her quite well in situations like this.

"Hey, Imai, talk to me." Ruka sighed, feeling the exhaustion boring down on him double. "Hotaru…"

The Ice Queen pretended not to hear, and went to turn to another corner—but didn't make it. A strong hand held her by the wrist, and made her stop. Turning to finally face him, she met his tired but determined eyes. "What do you want, Nogi?"

She didn't miss the flash of surprise in his blue eyes, and his face flushed with utter confusion and annoyance. "Why won't you talk to me?"

"I don't feel like talking to you."

Hotaru watched his eyes switch from questioning, to hurt, to wonder, and back to questioning. "You're avoiding me…"

"No, I'm not."

"You've been—" Ruka Nogi stopped himself. What's it to him anyway? She said it already—she didn't feel like talking to him.

Her heart was beating unusually fast. With his hand on her wrist, she felt like she had never been this confused in her entire life. Where the hell's the three-meter barrier?

As if synchronized by some force, realization sank in. Just when his grip loosened, his instincts suddenly fired up—tightening his hold as he heard the familiar sound of _The Mob_.

"Ruka-sama!"— "Where are you Ruka-kun!" — "Ruka-kun accept my birthday gift!" — "Ruka-sama let's get married!" — "Happy Birthday, Ruka-kun!"

With his adrenaline taking over, he started to run—pulling the Ice Queen behind her—and went for the next turn to another, trying to get away from the screaming fan girls.

He didn't know how long they'd been running, but when he felt her hand trying to pull away from his grip, he found himself finally slowing down. They reached the half-empty part of the Central Town, with only a few people here and there strolling around. Letting go of her hand, he could feel his temples pounding. Needless to say, he looked flushed.

"S-sorry…" He managed to choke out as he tried to catch his breath.

Hotaru Imai ran a hand on her hair, her breathing slowly evening out. He could touch her, she realized; while wearing the bracelet that's supposed to block him from people he disliked. She turned to him, quietly sorting her thoughts. She had it wrong all along…

Ruka let out one last exhale and then ran a hand at the back of his neck. He was thinking about the bracelet, too; how it works, and why she lent it to him in the first place. If Iinchou had been right, about Hotaru having assumptions and wanting to know if they're right or wrong and if it really involved him… Ruka blinked, and suddenly found the courage to look at her, his gears finally clicking and turning the right way since this all started. "Y-you…"

The Ice Queen blinked, feeling his eyes boring on hers. Good thing she could keep herself looking calm. They stared at each other like that, sorting out their own thoughts.

Finally, Ruka found his voice. "S-so you…" He cleared his throat, an innocent finger pointing at the Ice Queen. "…y-you thought that I actually—"

"I have my reasons." She said when he faltered, as if that could explain everything. "And you were—" Hotaru blinked, her expression not changing while trying to feel indifferent as she fought the mushy feeling stirring inside her. "…distant."

"I-I wasn't! I-I was just…" Ruka tried to explain, feeling the blood rushing up to his face again for a brand new reason. "W-well it was…i-it was H-hayate…"

The name went out like a whisper, but she perfectly heard it.

A few people glanced as they passed by; and she figured that they might've sounded really stupid for an eavesdropper, noting how their sentences didn't really make any sense right now. Torn between sheer stupidity and relief, the Ice Queen managed a quiet sigh.

So it was Hayate all along, who's been triggering the bracelet's barrier. And she thought it was her. For a month she _assumed_ it was her. "How…stupid." She mumbled under her breath, shaking her head once. He didn't hate her…

"Wh-what was that?"

Hotaru turned back to him, a new courage in her stare. "You didn't like him?"

Strange how fast she seemed to have recovered from the 'quiet conversation' they just shared, he noticed. Flushing deeper, Ruka stuttered, "W-well he was…o-okay, b-but—" She raised an eyebrow and he looked away to the ground. "I-I didn't like him around you…"

That was worth another minute of staring, arguing, and reconciliation. There—clear as day that Ruka Nogi was simply jealous.

The next few seconds was…well, awkward. With only a few sentences exchanged, it was hardly a conversation. But things had been cleared, and both felt lightweight as they stood there, quiet and waiting. Before another minute would pass, Ruka broke the silence.

His stomach grumbled.

The blond flushed; a hand absently went to his tummy. Daring a glance, his eyes met hers; and she surprisingly, she was already smirking. He watched the Ice Queen half-turned towards the main Central Town before looking back at him.

"Let's go eat."

Finding himself smiling in sheer surprise and relief, he walked to her side.

* * *

><p>There was a tinge of orange and violet in the sky as the two started to head back to the school. They barely had any casual conversation, but neither cared too much about the silence. In fact, Ruka found himself enjoying it. Surprisingly, he liked how she'd suddenly ask a question and he'd answer it; then he'd ask another one after a long silence and she'd answer it without the usual irritation and rudeness…well, maybe just a bit; she's still the Ice Queen.<p>

"So Iinhou told you."

Ruka blinked, glancing at her as if making sure he'd heard it right. "Uh…I-inchou?"

"Stop acting dumb, Nogi." She cut in. "You know what I mean."

Feeling the flush on his cheeks, he tried sorting his thoughts. Two guys talking about a girl problem—well, you could consider his previous dilemma as that, alright—isn't that surprising; what's making him blush was the fact that that girl actually knew. It's not supposed to be a fuss, her knowing, but, well, you can't blame him. "I-I…w-well, h-he didn't actually…" He cleared his throat. "I-inchou just told me what he thought about it…"

Hotaru Imai raised an eyebrow, glancing at the blond and meeting his eyes at one fraction of a second, and surprised him by not saying anything.

"H-how…" Ruka muttered, his cheeks still kind of warm. "How did you know?"

A small smirk started to play on her lips, and watching it made him think he shouldn't have asked. "It's not that difficult to figure you out."

He found himself gaping, and when he recovered, he simply shook his head and looked straight ahead. Surely, he didn't have any retort to that. Hotaru Imai simply knew how to handle him any way she wanted; and if that's supposed to be unfair—since she's always unpredictable to him—then that's it. Apparently, that's life for Ruka Nogi.

It didn't take them too long to get to the dormitories. It was nearing twilight already, and with the crickets doing the job of making the atmosphere really romantic, neither dared to break the silence. Getting inside the building was quite a relief, though.

* * *

><p>"Uhm…" He mumbled, not knowing what to say. "The ladies' dorm's on the opposite wing…"<p>

Hotaru simply stared at his door, her face everlastingly calm despite the really, really, awkward situation. "I know."

Now what was he supposed to say to that?

Clearing his throat, he turned to her and opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when she cut in.

"Just open the damn door, Nogi."

Of course, when the Ice Queen talks to you that way, you simply find yourself obeying. So as if moved by sheer impulse, his hand moved to turn the knob. Finally opening the door, he had faced himself to another surprise…

"Happy birthday, Ruka-pyoooonnn!"

The first thing that came to his mind was that, since when did everybody start calling him the way Mikan does?

He stood there, apparently frozen as he stared at his brightly lit, very well decorated room, that big banner with a birthday greeting on it, and his friends' wonderful grins and happy faces. He could've just stood there at the door, staring and marveling, if Hotaru didn't kick him on the leg. She smirked at him, their eyes meeting for a second, before she walked to the buffet table.

The next thing he knew, Mikan was already throwing herself on him in that warm, friendly, bear hug; and so was everybody!

"H-how…" He mumbled, looking at them the moment he got released for air.

"Oh it was everybody's idea." Sumire cut in, waving a hand as if it was no big deal.

"Uh-huh." Koko grinned at him with that really annoying I-know-something-you-don't-want-me-to-know kind of smile. "It's really nice to go out once in a while, right?"

"Yeah!" Mikan clapped her hands excitedly. "We're just thankful Hotaru's there to go out with you every Saturday!" There was a short pause before everyone howled and cheered maliciously at him, making him flush and shrink. He was about to explain when Mikan saved him. "Let's eat!"

Looking across the room at the raven-haired Alice already devouring the buffet table, he found himself smiling like an idiot.

* * *

><p>The party went absolutely well. Mikan and the others did a really great job, and so did the Ice Queen. Sadly, she suddenly disappeared in the middle of the party. Sure enough, she was tired; and if she had told Mikan she was leaving, the brunette would've clung herself to her bestfriend so she would stay. So she left…<p>

Ruka sighed. How he figured that out, he didn't know; it just sounded so much like what Hotaru Imai would do. Picking up the last plastic cup on the floor, he found himself smiling again.

He could've stood there smiling like an idiot until he fell asleep on the dirty carpet; but amidst the silence of the night, he heard the soft thudding on his door. He walked to the source of the sound, wondering who it could be. Or what…

Slowly opening the door, he found himself yet another surprise. It was…well, a turtle.

Blinking at it, he noticed that it was an automaton; but it certainly was a turtle. As if sensing that the door had been opened, it moved to enter his room in its turtle-ish way, and then stopped when it bumped on his foot. It had a clean, white, sturdy paper ingeniously attached on its carapace, and though he had no idea what this was all about, he bent down and picked it up. For some reason he felt rather cold and nervous. Flipping it to its backside, his muscles tensed. Written there, with that penmanship he'd never get mistaken for another persons', was his…well, name: _Ruru._

* * *

><p>Hotaru Imai glanced at the wall clock, and it read 11 P.M. She normally dozed off at this time, but now, even after the party, she wasn't feeling sleepy at all. It usually meant that she'd have enough energy to look into some blueprints; but there were times—rare times—that it meant something was bound to happen. Bad or not, she didn't know. But she couldn't help thinking about the probable misfits that might happen tonight, which apparently, takes her back to thinking about Bunny boy.<p>

Then she heard a knock on the door. She wasn't sleepy and all, but seriously…who would want to disturb her at this hour? Oh, right…her bestfriend.

_What a surprise._

She blinked, watched the door for a moment, and then shrugged before walking to the door to open it, revealing…the birthday boy.

Hotaru Imai zeroed in at the blond guy who was a head taller than her now, and then blinked when she saw the turtle and the paper in his hand. But then Ruka stepped inside, closed the door behind him, and then held her hand. Under the bright lit room, she could perfectly see his tired, but beautiful blue eyes. But his eyes didn't look so calm and friendly right now; they looked quite…unreadable.

She watched him watch her for a moment, knowing what this was about. Patiently waiting as he tried sorting his thoughts, she gently prodded, "What is it?"

His eyes went from confusion, to questioning, back to confusion... "I-I…" He started, couldn't exactly find his words while he stared at her unfathomable eyes. Glancing down to their hands, he gulped back hesitation and held the turtle up. "I-I got this one knocking on my door…"

Ruka watched her stare at the turtle, a warm recognition flashing in her purple orbs. "That's mine."

For some reason, those words enlightened him, and the weird heavy feeling of confusion slowly dispersed. "I-it's got…" He mumbled, staring at the paper as she took both from his hand. "Th-that paper…"

Hotaru stared at the items for a moment, and then looked back to his eyes. "Come here." She said, and pulled him with her to her bedside table. Letting go of his hand, she opened a drawer, pulled out an envelope, and gave it to him.

Ruka stared at it, a hesitating hand barely touching the thing.

"It's not going to explode, idiot."

He blinked, and when he glanced at her, she was smirking. When he finally reached for it, Hotaru pulled the chair from her bedside table and sat on it, leaving the blond to his thoughts.

Ruka Nogi sat down on her bed, and under normal circumstances, that would've made him flush just like that third Saturday when the Ice Queen got sick; but now he couldn't even bring himself to thinking about how weird all these were. Staring at the envelope on his hand as if a newly found jewel, he finally found the courage to open it.

And just as he thought, it was from the most important woman in his life…

_My dearest Ruru,_

_Oh, I miss you so much! I wonder how much you've grown! I bet you're taller than me now, aren't you? I wish you're doing great there with your friends! Have you gotten yourself a girlfriend? Oh, I bet! And I'd really want to meet her when you graduate… ;)_

_Your dad misses you, too! We can't wait to get you back, Ruru…_

_I wish I could write pages and pages of letters for you, but they said it'd be so much risk to write so much without really knowing if it'd be safely sent to your hands... But if you're reading this now, then things might have worked well. I can't really explain here how this had been possible, it'd be quite dangerous in case this letter hadn't reached you. But if it did, then don't forget to thank her…_

_I love you son. Happy Birthday! _

_-Mom_

The room was still and quiet as he folded the paper neatly after reading it over and over again until he seemed to have memorized every stroke of his mother's handwriting. He really wished it was longer, but he understood perfectly—it was a risk sending this to him. Wiping off the wetness on his face, he stared at the folded treasure in his hands. He had always longed for his mom, but he had never missed her so much as he did now…

Putting back the folded letter to its envelope, he finally looked up to the brightly lit three-star bedroom he had already gotten so familiar with.

The clock read quarter to midnight, he noticed, and the Ice Queen was no longer on the bedside table. She was on her working area by the mini-cabinets where she store all the supplies they shopped for; quietly doing her thing with her Alice she alone understood.

It took him quite a while to find his voice, and when he did, he didn't hesitate to ask. "Tell me how it happened…"

Hotaru glanced over her shoulder, only half-turning to him as she replied. "Remember last December?"

He nodded. "We danced, yes."

Ignoring the warming of her cheeks, she continued calmly, "Yes, and you asked me about the guest who talked to me in private."

His mind flashed the memories quickly, and he almost choked on his words upon remembering. "Y-you mean…"

She simply nodded, eyes turning back to her work as she said. "Your mom happened to be an important investor to that guy's company, or maybe they're friends, I don't know. After an hour of sales-talking, he requested me to relay that envelope to you…"

"And you…simply agreed to do as he said?"

"Of course not. What am I, an errand girl?"

Their eyes met for a second, and both found themselves smiling.

Hotaru shrugged, moving to another drawer as she said, "We agreed on a few things…", and then after a moment, she added under her breath, "But I would've done it anyway."

The room was very quiet now, it's midnight. She pushed the last drawer shut, and then turned to look over her shoulder; but then froze as strong arms went around her in an embrace. She had no idea when he walked to her, but the next thing she knew, she was inhaling his scent.

She could feel his warm breath as he buried his face on her hair, his arms tightening around her yet still felt quite gentle and inviting. "Thank you." His voice sounded choked as if on the verge of crying. "Thank you so much…

She had no idea how to respond to that. With her face buried on his shirt, she mumbled, "It's not exactly _my_ gift."

"Still." She could almost see him frown stubbornly as he said that.

She seemed so fragile as he held her, though that would've been dangerous if said aloud. This was a trespass, he figured, embracing her like this; but he couldn't help himself. But then just when he thought he had to break it, he heard her sigh and felt her arms snake around his waist in a late response.

"Happy Birthday…"

They stayed like that for quite a while, not really knowing how long that is.

When she pulled away, his arms loosened in awkwardly. They stayed there on their knees, feeling the warm of the other radiating like that of an electromagnet. Suddenly her hand moved to his wrist, to the bracelet he was still wearing.

"You were supposed to return this to me." She said, her hand gently holding his as she stared at the neat design.

Ruka flushed, holding it up close to both of them before replying. "I-I…don't know how to open it."

She smirked, her hand moving to hold his hand still, while the other moved to the bracelet. With both hands on his big, rough one, Ruka couldn't help but blush. He watched her turn the bracelet around as if looking for something, stopped, and then pressed that barely-visible microswitch. The bracelet opened, falling onto her hands as she caught it.

Ruka watched her stare at the thing, and he didn't dare break the silence. They were too close to each other, the proximity almost choking and relieving at the same time. He couldn't explain it… It's…

The blond quietly sighed. If there's one thing he's sure about, that's the fact that he didn't want the distance anymore…

"That one…" He muttered, looking at the silver thing. "It really helped me a lot."

A barely visible curve pulled from her lips, but it was gone even before he was sure he saw it. "…must be fun getting chased around."

He blinked, staring at her now. "I'm gonna make it up to you someday."

For the first time since the very warm embrace, she looked up to meet his eyes. "For what…?"

That barely sounded like a question, but he replied, "For everything."

He thought he saw her stare back incredulously, but her face didn't really change its expression, so he dropped the thought. She blinked at him, her face clear from any of her thoughts… "Including the blackmailing?"

He flushed, almost choking on his reply. "Th-that—"

A small smile crept up on her lips, and he perfectly saw it now. "You did a lot for me, too." She said. "Most of them you're not even aware of…"

He was about to open his mouth to ask about what she just said, but she already got to her feet and walked to the other side of the room. For some reason, he found himself smiling at the carpet; and though he didn't really want to, it was time to leave now.

Rising to his feet, he stared at the most wonderful birthday gift he ever had, and then looked over his shoulder to see the Ice Queen by her bedside table, doing something with the turtle invention. Taking his time to walk to her, he said, "That's the invention you were looking for, isn't it? Last month, when you gave me the…the bracelet."

She nodded.

Silence.

"Thanks again."

"You're welcome."

He nodded, finally turning to leave—and stopped again to turn back to her for the nth time. "Uhm…" He mumbled, feeling really tired of blushing. "N-next time…"

"I'll tell you." She cut in, and when he looked, she was smirking. "The next time I go shopping, I'll tell you…"

That made him grin really wide that she had to tell him he looked like an idiot. What they didn't know was that there was no more 'next time'…

* * *

><p>AN: THere! What do you think about it? Is it too long and dragging? Is it too mushy? Too...much? lol. PLEASE, let me know!

By the way... I think I'll be posting the last chapter (or maybe the last two chapters) the next time I update. I don't know if it's right to tell you all about this...sniff!

ANYwaaay... see yah! :D


	8. Chapter 8

**Saturdays with the Ice Queen**

* * *

><p>AN: Hey there! After two months, and four days (I hope my Math's correct. lol.), I'm baaaack! xD  
>I'm sooo sorry for the D E L A A A A A Y, I've been very, very, very busy with projects in school. We had just finished our final exams for the semester, so I'm basically enjoying the first juices of semestral break, and I'm loving it! And since I delayed for two months, I figured I should update the last chapter soon! SO here I am. :D<p>

First off, I'd like to thank ALL of you guys who stayed tuned in the last seven chapters, I really, really appreciate it! Especially those who made their reviews really helpful (You know who you are. ) xD... A N D! I'd like to warn everyone, too, that this last chapter would be quite long...so, bear with it, please.. :P

Oookaay...! Two months of delay should be enough, and so here it is! The last chapter... I hope you'll enjoy it! It took me so long to figure out how to end it. The delay made the cliff-hanger in the previous chapter quite interesting...I'll apologize if this one would disappoint you, though, so let me know! Please leave a review! hehe.

Alright, then! Enjoy!

:D

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: The Eighth Saturday: <strong>L A S T S H O T<strong>

* * *

><p>"The others did most of the job that's left yesterday, so…maybe we'll finish it this morning." Iinchou muttered and ran a hand at the back of his head tiredly.<p>

"Okay."

He turned to the raven-haired Alice standing by the window, documents on her hands but eyes and thoughts way outside the High School building Executives office. Iinchou sighed, getting up from his seat to open one drawer across the room.

"I told you to take a short break…" He said to her, closing the drawer and opening another and closing it again frustratingly before walking to the window to stand beside her. "You…" Iinchou gently paused, stopping himself before he could even say anything private. Feeling embarrassed, he cleared his throat. "Y-you know what I mean…y-you've been very busy since last month. You haven't spent so much time with…t-them."

Hotaru turned to his ever-trusted partner, her face remaining stoic. "We've been very busy." She said, putting enough emphasis on the first word. Then casually reading the documents, she added, "There are a lot of things to do; you know that…"

As if an actual breeze, silence swept the almost empty room. Suddenly, Iinchou mustered his voice. "It's just that…" he said in almost a whisper and continued, "I-I just think that, y-you know…that he misses you already." Then he let out a nervous chuckle, trying to sound humorous—but quite failing.

After a moment of scary pause from the Ice Queen, Iinchou sighed in relief when she replied, "Those things can wait."

Iinchou opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again, knowing perfectly how his friend felt otherwise. _Sometimes she can be as stubborn as she wants and still gets her way_, he thought, watching the Ice Queen walk to a steel cabinet and open a drawer, _well, maybe most of the time._

"Do you think you'll have enough time? I-I mean…before we graduate?"

At that, Hotaru felt herself stiffen. She knew the answer to that question. "I'll find time." She replied, half knowing, half unsure of what Iinchou meant exactly by what he just said... But with all those years of working with him in almost everything, she assumed he understood her now even without verbalizing her troubles.

For some reason, Iinchou found himself smiling. "Okay." He said quite cheerfully, and Hotaru looked at him. "Just don't overdo it."

Hotaru blinked. "Overdo what?"

"Not seeing him."

The Ice Queen watched Iinchou's friendly smile widen a bit to a more perceptive-looking grin, and she almost regretted asking further.

* * *

><p>"Alright everyone, that's good!" the facilitator clapped his hands once as he yelled through the microphone. "See you after lunch!"<p>

The hyped seniors scrambled from the stage, most of them getting out of the Hall in a quick, unruly swarm. It's the last day of graduation practice, and they've been singing and practicing for an hour now. It's tiring, yes, but when they think of what it's for…well, the effort just seemed worth it: they're graduating!

Our blond Alice had been thinking about these things—as well as some other things that he was pretty scared to deal with; like, college, for example; or the Ice Queen, maybe? His heart skipped a beat, and he felt the sudden urge to hit himself for drifting away again. He really should get used to her not being around. Besides, it was just a year that they'd gotten…well, as _close_ as they are now. It's not even like they were childhood bestfriends like she and Mikan or he and Natsume. Or—

"Ruka." Natsume's voice broke his reverie, and when he looked up, his bestfriend's crimson eyes met his. "Polka's calling you."

With that, Ruka scrambled for a happy face, turning to the brunette at the bottom of the stage who was waving her arm to get their attention. "Natsume! Ruka-pyon!" She grinned, seemingly oblivious to the blond's musing. "Come on, you guys!"

Natsume let looked at his bestfriend from the corner of his eyes, and muttered, "Maybe she'll attend the afternoon practice."

Ruka blinked. Somehow, it's nice to have someone read your thoughts and tries to make you feel better; it saves you the trouble of verbalizing them. He looked at Natsume, quite stricken but managed to reply with a weak smile. "I don't know." He shrugged. "Even Iinchou misses practice; they must really be busy."

They've just reached the bottom of the stage, by the grand piano that was used for practice, and Mikan's hyper activeness immediately tried to flush out Ruka's gloomy mood. "Let's go! Anna cooked for us!"

"That's great." Ruka smiled, and watched her attention turn to Natsume, their fingers intertwining at the instant as if on automatic, and continue babbling endlessly as they all started to walk out of the Hall.

Instinctively, he looked around the half-empty Hall, and seeing no sign of the Ice Queen. Two weeks ago was his birthday—and, it's the best birthday he's ever had, thanks to his friends and, well, Hotaru. That was a Saturday, too; and was also one of the bests he'd spend with her. But it never happened again, their Saturdays… He didn't know why, though; he kept thinking and rethinking about that day—just in case he'd done something wrong or whatever. But…nothing. Until now he would rack his brain into thinking, trying to figure out, and the only thing that seemed close to an answer—a less painful answer—was that maybe the Ice Queen's simply busy. He instinctively looked across the group to the other blond, the infamous mind-reader-ever-annoying Koko. But he seemed busy laughing along with Sumire—or maybe he chose to look like he didn't hear his thoughts, for his friend's sake. Ruka sighed. A few minutes later they were sitting around the picnic table under the shade of a big, old tree, devouring the delicious lunch courtesy of the Anna's Alice of Cooking. Amidst the laughter and joyous eating, someone finally remembered what was missing.

"Hey, have you guys seen Iinchou?" Koko suddenly asked, casually munching on the rice cake.

"Oh, I saw him this morning." Anna said, and then shrugged, her expression dropping. "But he seemed busy. I don't know."

"Hotaru, too!" Mikan cut in kind of loudly. "I haven't seen her yesterday!"

Nonoko turned to Anna and said, "I think they've only attended the graduation practice once…"

"Hmmn…" Sumire thought, propping her elbow on the table as a weird silence swept over them. "Executives are pretty busy…" She mumbled, "But they're supposed to have a break once in a while. Besides, classes are like, what, long over; and tomorrow's a Saturday." For some reason, her eyes turned to Ruka who was doing his best not to blush while trying to concentrate on eating.

As if on cue, everyone's eyes turned to him. He really didn't have plans on looking up from the overly beaten sandwich on his plate—if not for Mikan…

"Ruka-pyon?"

The blond cleared his throat, and slowly looked up to the big, curious, brown eyes of the brunette sitting across him. "Y-yes?"

Mikan blinked. "Have you seen Hotaru recently?"

Ruka opened his mouth, but closed it again when the others blurted out more questions almost at the same time— "Did you guys go out last Saturday?"— "What do you guys talk about?"— "Are you guys dating?"

Feeling the blood pounding on his temples, he tried to look nowhere but Mikan to reply, "N-no. W-we haven't talked."

"B-but Ruka-pyon—"

"Look, H-hotaru and I—" Ruka paused, glancing down at his plate, unsure of what he was going to say exactly. When he looked back up his eyes to went past Mikan and met another pair of eyes.

With the sudden change in his expression, Mikan look over her shoulder and, well, screamed.

"Hotaaaarruuuu!"

The next moment, Mikan had already thrown herself off her seat to her bestfriend. And at that same moment, Bunny boy's heart sank for two reasons—first was because of the fact that he had actually…missed her more than he thought he did. Second reason was that she didn't even look his way.

"Try not to spit food on me, Mikan." The Ice Queen said, shrugging off the brunette as gentle and harsh as possible—though she'd be the only one who knows how that actually works.

"Hey, it's Iinchou!" Koko suddenly cut in, waving at the approaching class rep. "Long time no see!"

"Great!" Anna clapped cheerfully. "There's plenty of food for everyone!"

Iinchou greeted them politely as Koko stood up and led him to the empty chair at the end of the picnic table while Mikan pulled Hotaru down to sit beside her—and that's another way of saying that she pulled Hotaru down to sit right across Ruka.

Now that they're complete, the little celebration seemed more joyous. Ironically, when it was time for dessert, drama made its way to the group.

Anna stabbed at her cake. "I can't believe we're actually graduating…"

Nonoko nodded. "Mm-hmn."

Koko snickered. "What did you guys think? That we'd get stuck here for the rest of our lives?"

Everyone stared at him. With all that's happened in the past, no one really knew what's possible or not—So Koko raised his palms and shrugged.

"What Anna meant was that…" Sumire put swallowed the tasty vanilla cake and continued, "...after all those years, we'll finally taste freedom again.

There was a pause as the word 'freedom' sank in; bringing thoughtful smiles on their faces and Mikan punched the air. "All the more reason to celebrate then!"

"W-well, y-yeah." Koko chuckled. "Maybe I should finish packing up tonight."

There was a short laughter, and then as if switched to another mode, Mikan turned to her bestfriend who was quietly devouring her dessert. "Have you finished packing, Hotaru?"

The Ice Queen blinked, glanced around the table, and put swallowed her food before shaking her head 'no'.

"What?"

Calmly stabbing her cake, Hotaru Imai propped an elbow on the table. "I was busy."

"B-but—" Mikan almost choked in panic. Turning to look at the end of the table, she asked the class rep. "H-how about Iinchou?"

The blond flushed slightly, but managed to reply, "I-I…well, no."

"That busy?" Sumire asked. "But were going to graduate tomorrow!"

"Y-yeah." Koko replied, glancing at Ruka who was trying to blend in the background and not saying anything while completely forgetting to conceal his thoughts from potential mind-readers like Koko himself.

Hotaru and Iinchou glanced at each other, and then she shrugged dismissively. "I'll finish it tonight."

There was a short pause, and then a light bulb popped on. "We'll help you guys, then." Anna said, brightening up the mood.

"Yeah!" Mikan beamed at the Ice Queen's face. "We'll help you guys! We'll split in two groups."

"For an idiot like you," Natsume suddenly said. "…that sounds quite like a plan."

"You'll be in my group anyway." The brunette said and stuck out a tongue at the Black Cat. "Alright, then! We'll do it!"

"Yeah!"

Iinchou bowed at them, a big smile on his boyish face. "Thanks, you guys."

"Oh, no problem, 'rep." Sumire waved a hand at him dismissively.

"Yeah, it's no big deal, Iinchou!" Mikan said to him happily, and then suddenly turned to the other blond sitting in front of her. "Right, Ruka-pyon?"

Again, there was a weird pause when he looked up. Clearing his throat, he dared the briefest glance at the Ice Queen before answering, "Y-yeah."

"So you'll be on the same group with us!" Mikan clapped excitedly. "We'll help Hotaru with her bedroom, alright?"

"I—" He almost choked, on the brink of blushing. "Y-yes, but…" Everyone turned to him, and feeling their eyes, he gulped and lost the strength to look up. "I-I was assigned to clean the barn…"

'Assigned' barely seemed the right word, 'cause ever since, Ruka Nogi has always been its caretaker. And doing anything that concerned the barn and the animals living in it had always been his thing—and nobody needed to 'assign' that to him. So when he said that, the Ice Queen knew he was kind of trying to excuse himself…

Natume, who was quiet almost the whole time except for annoying Mikan, turned to him.

The blond tried for a nervous smile and when he replied, his voice sounded almost like a whisper. "Nobody's going to do it…if I won't."

Natsume stared at his bestfriend, completely lost. He glanced at Koko, who then shook his head and looked away, refusing to convey anything about Ruka's thoughts. The fire caster turned back to Ruka, feeling the urge to say, "I thought you wanted to see the Ice Queen? Now you're backing out?", but then did not.

"I-I'll try to catch up." Ruka cut in before Natsume could even say anything. Doing his best not to look evasive, he dared to glance at her… "I promise."

And for the first time in a long time, Hotaru met his now quiet, blue eyes and paused there as if trying to figure him out. She didn't get the chance to reply though, the school bell rang, and the facilitator's voice boomed on the nearby speakers, telling the seniors to immediately proceed to the auditorium for final practice. And just like that, lunch ended without a single word exchanged between the Ice Queen, and Bunny boy.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you're alright?"<p>

"Yeah. You look quite…sad."

Hotaru Imai didn't actually _look_ sad—she felt sad, though her expressions remained stoic. In fact, she bet her face seemed more calm than usual—if that's even possible—since the more her emotions try to break free, the harder she would fight to control them; and that's what's going on with her right now: trying to stay in control.

She closed her drawer and walked to her workspace to check her tools. "I'm fine."

Mikan, who was surprisingly not throwing herself at the Ice Queen just yet, simply stared. She, Nonoko, Anna, and Sumire decided to stay on Hotaru's group; leaving the boys to help Iinchou despite the initial plan of having Natusme. Besides, with Hotaru's absence the past few days, it's quite relaxing to spend time with girlfriends. They've been cleaning the room and helping Hotaru pack and all since late afternoon after graduation practice. Now it's about nine in the evening, and they were just about to get done.

Sumire stuffed the last of unused papers in a trash bag, sealing it and marking it 'papers' before turning to look at the others, who then sighed and dropped the subject. "Okay." She said, standing up to stretch. "Then let's talk about something else."

Anna turned off the vacuum cleaner and pushed it to one corner of the room. Nonoko glanced at her from arranging the books Hotaru borrowed from the library. Then she turned to Sumire, who then looked at Mikan as if really talking to her. "What's with Ruka today?"

The brunette slumped on the floor, fiddling with the loose strands of the carpet. "What do you mean?" She replied.

"He's kind of…" Anna cocked her head to one side as she tried to find the right word. "…different."

There was a pause, and though she had her back on everyone as she tried busying herself with practically nothing exactly, Hotaru Imai felt her back stiffen a bit.

"Yeah." Nonoko put a finger on her chin as she walked to sit beside Mikan on the floor. "I do notice that he's…not quite his usual self. I mean, he doesn't really talk to everyone and all, but he's just…you know."

Sumire shrugged. "I've been torturing Koko ever since you know." She said, and the others' eyes widened as they stared at her wave a hand dismissively at them. "Hey, I just want to know what's wrong! And besides himself, apart from the persons concerned…" her eyes darted a glance towards the Ice Queen, and then back to the others. "Koko's the only one who actually knows everything."

For some reason, the Ice Queen itched to storm away and head to Iinchou's room—maybe to torture the mind-reader, too, since if that guy knows _things _from Ruka Nogi's head, then he somehow got into her head, too.

"What do you think, Imai?" Sumire dared.

Hotaru got to her feet and calmly walked to her bedside table as if she wasn't really paying attention. "I have no idea." She lied. Apparently, Sumire had the guts to not believe her.

"If you ask me," She said, casually leaning by the window. "I think he likes you." When she didn't say anything, Sumire prodded casually, "I mean, you know. It's kind of obvious…"

A pause; a deadly, longer one this time. Surprisingly though, Hotaru faced her briefly before walking back to her workspace, her heart pounding. She had no idea it could sound as…surreal as it did: him liking her. But that's the last thing she should think about now if she wanted to stay in control. So keeping her emotions at bay while fighting the urge to torture Sumire Shouda, she managed a reply: "That doesn't have anything to do with the topic."

Sumire sighed, and threw her hands in the air and completely dropped the attempted topic. Anna and Nonoko glanced at each other, feeling Sumire's pushing and prodding turning quite unhealthy already. So clearing her throat, Nonoko got up and stretched. "I think we're actually done here. Uh, except for those albums up there."

"Y-yeah. The shelf's quite high." Anna cut Sumire off before she could even protest. "And it's quite late already; ceremony starts at seven tomorrow." And with a dreamy, happy air, she added, "We don't wanna get late in our own graduation."

They chuckled slightly, the three of them getting up and ready to leave.

The Ice Queen turned to face them, a box of bolts and screws in her hand, and tried for a small smile. "I'll finish it. Thanks."

"You're welcome!" Anna and Nonoko smiled and turned for the door while casually hooking their arms around Sumire as if forcing her to leave as well.

Mikan stood up last, and with just one glance at the three girls, they went ahead. Then the brunette looked at her bestfriend, who simply stared at her as if she were a weird specimen that had just popped in front of her. Mikan sighed and put her arms around the Ice Queen.

She didn't move to shove Mikan away, but after a moment, she found herself hugging her back, suddenly feeling okay despite the undercurrent of emotions threatening to burst.

"I know you don't want to talk, Hotaru." Mikan said against her shoulder. "I-I…I will wait 'till you're ready, alright?"

And with that, Mikan gave her one last reassuring smile before dashing to the door.

* * *

><p>Hearing nothing but the ticking of the clock and her own heart's constant beating, Hotaru Imai blinked at the carpet for the nth time. She pulled her legs to her chest, propping her head on her knees as she stared into empty space. There were boxes around her, some of them already stacked with things and sealed; more boxes lied open and unorganized. She really should stop moping…<p>

She sighed. Indeed, the last few weeks of work and no play has already taken its toll on her. Right now, she just feels so…tired. And the thoughts that had been running in her mind weren't exactly being helpful… Just when her eyes were about to droop down and get the best of her, there was a knock on the door.

Pressing her palms on her eyes for a moment, she let out another sigh and got up to her feet. She took her time to walk to the door, feeling less welcoming at this hour of the night; but then when she reached to open it, she found herself on the brink of hyperactiveness and passing out.

Ruka Nogi put his knuckle down from mid-knocking, now feeling the warm blood rushing up to his face to keep up with the occasional blushing. Clearing his throat, he managed to look at the equally stricken Ice Queen.

"I thought you're hibernating at the barn."

"I-I…" He gulped back hesitation. "I said I'd catch up." She raised an eyebrow, and for a moment back there he wondered if she was…jealous that he did what he had to do; but then maybe not. "I promised."

Hotaru let out a quiet breath she didn't know she was holding. Zeroing on this blond Alice sheepishly standing in front of her stirred complicated currents from within; and it included the intense itch to hit him with her Baka gun. For the past few weeks that she'd barely seen him, she had made peace with her emotions, admitting to herself certain things and feelings and decided to stay cool about them. But now as she stared at this guy, at the eve of graduation, looking quite…flustered now that she didn't say anything at his offer to help, she realized how she wanted him around.

So not saying a word, she turned her heels to resume her work, leaving the door open. He was pretty surprised at that, but he didn't wait for some welcoming words he knew he wouldn't get from her; he let himself in.

* * *

><p>As far as awkwardness was concerned, it did a pretty good job. For a good ten minutes neither dared speak as they worked as though programmed automatons. Hotaru Imai didn't mind the silence; she could work more efficiently with it, actually. However, she didn't mind a conversation either; it's not like they didn't talk in those Saturdays they spent together. It's just that, she decided to leave the breaking-the-silence task to him.<p>

Ruka, on the other hand, was very much aware of everything around him—the ticking of the clock, the cricket doing their nocturnal chorus in the forest, her muffled footsteps on the carpeted floor, the slight ruffling of plastic bags, the sound of the masking tape, everything! And he blamed it in the silence.

He never really cared before, this same silence between them; but for some reason it didn't feel quite…the same. And he knew it wasn't healthy anymore; and he's not being efficient, considering the fact that he went here for a reason. He should talk.

"Uhm…" He cleared his throat and stood up, a stack of books in his hands. "Wh-where do I put this?"

Hotaru's eyebrow twitched. She knew he'd start it eventually. She had her back on him as she sorted out some papers; looking over her shoulder, she glanced at the books and then to his face. "Those are from the library. Put them in a box and label it."

"Oh. Okay." He mumbled, instinctively looking around for an empty box. Spotting one on his left, he put the stack down and went to unfold it before arranging the books inside it one by one. Then he paused. Looking over his shoulder he started, "Wh-where's the—" And he stopped himself. "Hey, let me do that."

She was on a chair, reaching up to some albums arranged on the top shelf about a foot above her head. Hotaru raised an eyebrow at him, but he was already there holding onto the chair, and so she went down, a hand on the chair as Ruka reached up to the albums.

"I can do it myself." She muttered, not really caring if he'd heard it or not.

Ruka held onto a couple of thick, black, albums before going down. "It's too high up." He said, putting down the things before looking up to the shelf again.

Hotaru Imai rolled her eyes, putting the albums to makeshift table on her left. "Fine." She said, wondering if he'd be so thrilled to do it had he known what those albums were. "Clear that shelf and finish sealing that box over there."

The blond put one heavy album under his arm and took another, and he did it a couple more times before the shelf was cleared. Finally, he jumped off the chair, clapping his hands off with dust. Walking to the box of books he had left, he snatched the masking tape and marker from the floor to do his job—and at the same time he was back to trying-to-start-a-conversation mode.

He cleared his throat. "I-I thought the others helped you this afternoon."

The room was quiet for a while, and he was starting to panic that she was avoiding a conversation when she finally replied.

"They did help me." She replied. When he finally couldn't help it, he glanced over his shoulders, not concealing a triumphant but sheepish smile; but his neck froze when Hotaru looked at him stoically. "Why."

It definitely didn't sound like a curious, hey-I'm-participating-in-the-conversation kind of question; and he knew he had to answer it honestly. "I-I…" He gulped, scrambling for words. "I-I was just wondering why they're not here."

For a moment there she looked skeptical even in her blank stare, but then she looked away and started to dust the albums. "It's late, so I let them go ahead. Besides…" She said, and after a while she added, "Anna and Nonoko had to get Shouda out; her questions made me think of shoving my gun to her throat."

For some reason, Ruka chuckled. It kind of puzzled him, too, 'cause threats like that from the Ice Queen usually sent tremors of fear down his spine. "I can almost imagine it."

"Of course you can." She muttered and rolled her eyes again. "She was asking things about you."

And he kind of _almost _choked in mid-laughter. "Wh-what?"

Hotaru twirled the feather duster once in her fingers, glancing at the now stricken guy. "She was asking things." She repeated. "About your recent…actions."

"Wh-what…" He gulped, torn between staring and looking away from her eyes. "…actions?"

"How should I know?" She muttered, her calm face turning indifferent. "We haven't seen each other for a long time, have we?"

She has a point; but for some reason, by the way her stare lingered on him before looking back to her work, he figured she wasn't clueless. "I was just…" he muttered. "…thinking."

The Ice Queen so wanted him to elaborate; but she let it pass instead, pushing the curiosity aside. A good fifteen minutes passed and they were almost done. Ruka was sealing some boxes, and she was checking her list, looking around her room to make sure everything's in their right place and nothing's forgotten. Looking over to the blond across the room, she watched him seal a huge box, label it neatly, and stand up.

Ruka stretched his arms, and let out a sigh. Looking around, there was an innocent happy glint in his eyes when he spotted the last box. "Finally."

Hotaru watched him walk to one of the largest boxes in the room, and she wondered if he'd be too enthusiastic to work on it—it was the box filled with the huge, black, albums.

"Hey, what should I label this one?" His voice cut in her thoughts.

She walked to him, peering over his shoulder to her most prized possessions. "Mark it randomly."

"Oh, oka—what? But how—"

"I'll recognize it." She cut in.

He looked at her, his expression priceless; when he figured he wouldn't get the answers he wanted, he immediately turned to open the box. Taking one of the big, older-looking, albums, he opened it with such fervor that he almost regretted it. Without looking back at the girl standing beside him, he was pretty sure he would find a smirk on her face.

"I told you I'd recognize it."

It was, well, an album of his pictures.

The first page showed a young, blond, Alice, wearing Sakura Mikan's uniform. Ruka Nogi gulped back the echoing curses running in his mind, feeling the blood rushing up to his face to keep up with the blushing due to embarrassment. But for some reason he managed to turn one random page to another as he skimmed through the whole album revealing the hundreds of Blackmail pictures she had taken over the years.

"I-I thought you sold these already?"

She didn't miss the control in his voice. "I always have back-ups."

"A-and…" He glanced up to her eyes and then back down as he flushed. "You kept a copy of everything?"

The Ice Queen crossed her arms against her chest and raised an eyebrow, feeling the slight warming of her cheeks. "I expect you to be yelling at my face by now."

The blond closed the album, took a deep breath, and put it back in the box. He then started to seal it. "I don't know…" He muttered, not looking at her; and she figured, with the lack of reaction she expected, that of all the thousands of times she tried to annoy him, this was the most remarkable failure. "Been there done that?"

Hotaru stared at the thoughtful expression in his face as he finished sealing the box. She never really regretted all the blackmailing, it was fun. Call her evil, whatever, but she had her reasons. At one point, she was even convinced that the blackmailing started it all; their invisible bond that was kind of petty but important at the same time.

Letting out a quiet sigh, she walked to her bedside table, looking around the now cleared room. Maybe she'll miss this place…

Glancing at the clock, the time was five past eleven, and after the album incident, the room was pretty much quiet.

Ruka Nogi stared at the sealed box. He could've done anything to destroy those pictures; he fought for that over the years. But then there was something in them that made him want to forget how he hated the blackmailing. Whatever that 'something' was, he was pretty sure it was brought by those Saturdays…

Stifling a grunt, he managed to push the boxes to one side of the room. He then proceeded to clear the workspace with the clutter. He was tired, but his mind was alive—pretty much decided on what he was going to do before the night would end.

He was sitting on the floor now, his legs outstretched and his shoulders slumped as he rested his back on the side of the sofa, a few feet from the chair by the bedside table where the Ice Queen was sitting, sorting out a few more things. He closed his eyes, and he could hear his heart beating furiously. With the pounding in his head due to exhaustion, he thought that maybe this was what it's like for those people who wait for their execution.

He could feel his pulse on his fingers, his breathing evening out, his legs throbbing. But then he almost jumped when something ice cold touched his face—

"H-hey!"

His eyes shot open, and a pair of blurry, azure eyes with the same stricken intensity stared back at him. With his mind trying to keep up, he realized it was his reflection on the glass of ice cold water. He reached for it, meeting the ironically dreamlike purple eyes that were staring at him with amusement covered with indifference.

"Th-thanks…" He mumbled, focusing on the raven-haired Alice sitting on her heels. Pulling his legs up to his chest, he cupped the glass between his hands.

Hotaru Imai watched him drink the water, and noticed the natural blush in his face returning. After a moment, she didn't miss the further reddening of his face as she continued to stare. There was something amusing about that, his blushing when she stared. Not that she'd have to say that out loud. There was a lot to say, all of it at the tip of her tongue. But then she couldn't bring herself to saying even just the most important thing… And she disappointed herself more when she broke the stare, got to his feet, and took more control of her emotions by turning her back on him.

Ruka Nogi wanted to shrink under her stare, but somehow, he managed to stay calm. Her stare was unwavering.

"Why did you come to help me?"

There was a pause as he watched her back, feeling the courage surge as though water released from a dam.

"I wanna be with you."

Her back froze. Now that she'd heard it straight from him, she found herself not knowing what to say. She'd read a lot about moments like this in stupid novels and Vampire books, and none of it turned out to be true right now. For all the rare times she got lost for words, this was the worst.

With the sudden strength reaching his legs, the blond managed to get up to his feet. "I-I want to be here tonight…" he said again, glancing at the glass of water in his hands as if there's a script right there that might help him. "If…if this would be the last time I'll ever see you."

Amids the deafening beating of her heart, her mind managed to stay rational. With a calm voice, she said, "You'll still see me tomorrow—"

"But it won't be the same." He almost cut her in as she turned to face him, meeting her eyes with a brand new intensity she'd never seen before. "Tomorrow you'll be busy again a-and…and the others…"

He faltered, but she absolutely understood. With the presence of their friends, it won't be the same. She would be the Ice Queen, and he would simply be Ruka-pyon; and it would seem like nothing happened in all those Saturdays they had. It stung to think about, but unfortunately, it was true.

"What you said about…about the others noticing my actions… It's true." He said, suddenly finding the drive to do so while unconsciously getting closer. "I…I couldn't help it." His voice lowered. "Every day that passed I let a chance slip through my fingers; and the next thing I know, I'm running out of time." He paused, and the Ice Queen kept her mouth shut—or she'd face the consequences of losing control. Then he let out a sigh, and continued. "Before it was barely a passing thought, but the past few weeks when…when you were not around…"

The lump in her throat broke loose. "I was busy."

"I know." He said, and she thought she saw a small curve play on his lips as he put the glass down on the table, but it was gone before she was even sure she'd seen it. "But that's the worst part of it. It was then that I realized it might be too late."

He met her eyes again, pushing the screaming thought about backing out. The Ice Queen stared back, keeping her emotions at bay but letting his words draw them out at the same time without losing her control. And the next moment was nothing but muted fireworks.

"I'm in love with you."

For the next minute they simply stared at each other. She perfectly knew how to respond to that, but she had no idea her brain could freeze this hard with the echoing in her head. She started to open her mouth, but closed it again when at the same instant he held her hand.

"I…" He mumbled, scrambling for the right words as he tried to draw strength from staring at their hands. "I didn't plan it or a-anything but—" He gulped back the hesitation and found the sting in his chest quite funny as he said, "You don't have to…y-you don't have to love me back…" Upon saying that, he met her eyes and just when she was about to say something, she got cut off when he suddenly smiled her that smile. "I'm going to miss you, though..."

The next thing she knew, he was out of the door. She let out the breath she didn't know she was holding, and felt the blood subside from her face as she stared at the door. And that's when Hotaru Imai started to wonder if all confessions are supposed to be one-sided. Talk about letting every chance slip. "Idiot."

* * *

><p>The cool breeze swept through the usually empty school grounds. Under the blue sky, there was a special mood in the air. A few students were strolling around, but most were already outside the Hall, more than just prepared to get the ceremony started. But amidst the joyous but serene atmosphere was the wailing and pleading in the forest…<p>

"But Piyo…" There was another suppressed shriek, and the blond Alice's heart broke. "I-I'll try to visit okay?"

He watched his giant friend stifle a loud cry, and then he shook his head, keeping up with the silent conversation. "I-I don't know, b-but I'll try…I promise."

Another pause, and the giant yellow chick stomp its giant chicken foot, causing the blond to reach out to his friend to try to calm it down. "H-hey, Piyo…" He tried for a smile, though his heart was breaking at the sight of his wailing friend. Who would've thought goodbyes could get this hard… "I don't want to leave too, but…" he faltered, suddenly thinking about what he'd just said. Of course he wanted to graduate but then—

He looked up, hearing Piyo's wails in his head, then his eyes widened. "N-no!" He flushed. "Th-this isn't about her—" He gulped, seemingly getting cut off by the giant chick. "Listen, Piyo, it's not like…hey, I was spending time with her during those Saturdays because—no, it's not that I don't want to play with you anymore…I just—" Ruka Nogi let out a big sigh as he paused to listen to his friend's wailing. "H-hey, it's alright. She's just…special." He touched her, but the giant chick took a big step backward. He looked up. "I'm going to miss you…"

And with that, Piyo ran to the depths of the woods, leaving the blond Alice behind. The wind blew against his face as he stared at the tracks of is giant friend. It was quiet, and he could still hear his pulse in his temples. He knew Piyo understood…but still—

"Well that's a pretty bad break-up."

Ruka Nogi's heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat ran down his spine. A hand instinctively went up to wipe the stubborn wetness in his face. His heart was beating furiously, and with that fact alone, he didn't need to check to be sure who it was… "Tell me you weren't eavesdropping."

Hotaru Imai crossed her arms against her chest, raised an eyebrow, and stared at the guy standing a few meters from her. "I was eavesdropping." Ruka didn't turn to face her, and she wondered about the lack of expected response. "I was kidding, idiot."

There was a pause, and the wind blew again as though trying to fill up the vacuum between them.

She just stood there, staring at his back; but then he suddenly shook, a hand went up to his face, and the next thing she knew she was already there beside him. With all the years of practice, her face remained calm; her emotions barely stirred. But then before she knew it, she reached to hold his hand. She stared at it, amazed by the feel of their skin touching. Talk about impulse control. Tch.

His back stiffened with the touch, but for some reason it made him fight off the stubborn tears running down his face. He looked away from her though, concentrating on trying to stop the shaking. Besides, he believed he'd just confessed last night, and crying in front of this girl suddenly felt quite embarrassing…

"You can visit Piyo if you want to." She found herself saying, and when he met her eyes, she felt the sudden warming of her cheeks as she glanced away. "They will have to let you…"

There was some kind of conviction in her voice that somehow made him feel better, and it somehow made him smile a bit. "You sound so sure." Ruka stared at the scariest, but most amazing girl he'd ever known. "Thank you."

She shrugged, not looking back at him. There was a pause, and she glanced at their hands decided against letting it go. She never got the point of couples holding hands before, but for some reason, her skin itched to stay in touch with his. She ignored it, and instead reached for something from her pocket with her other hand.

Ruka watched her quietly, and closed his gaping mouth when she held out a familiar thing to his face. "Th-that's…"

The Ice Queen blinked. "I'm giving it to you." She could see the obvious confusion in his face, and now she felt the blushing taking its toll on her, but she fought it with great control. "I don't need it anyway."

The blond stared at her incredulously, then to the familiar bracelet she had once designed for him, and then back to her eyes again. "But you never just give things away."

The Ice Queen shrugged, lifted his hand, and snapped the bracelet close around his wrist. She felt the sudden surge of energy enveloping him, some sort of strong magnetic field, and she knew the bracelet was working—not against her anyway. "I've extended its range to a hundred meters." She said.

Ruka opened his mouth, and then closed it again for a moment. He paused, stared at her, and didn't miss the slight flush on her cheeks though her face remained eternally calm. "Wh-why are you giving this to me?"

"I can't promise to be like the others…" She said, ignoring her question and not looking away from the bracelet she fastened on his wrist. "I'm not as patient and as cheerful as Mikan, nor am I as understanding as you are."

"Wh-what're you—"

"You'll have to remember I'm not like everyone else." She cut in, her voice barely audible as the wind blew again." For a moment there he thought he saw her smirk a bit, but then it was gone before he was even sure he saw it. "And you know perfectly what I can do when provoked. So I'm giving you that…" She continued. "I'm giving you the chance to stay away from me…"

"B-but—" He said, but faltered when she met his eyes and arched an eyebrow. "I-I don't want—I don't want to be far from you…"

Hotaru Imai stared at the blond Alice as if gauging him in some way. With that blank expression, she pushed away the rumbling thoughts. "Don't say things you don't mean."

Ruka's eyes widened for a moment upon hearing that, feeling a sting right there on his chest, but for some reason he heard something else in her voice. Something you don't hear every day from the Ice Queen herself—_vulnerability_. Before he knew it, his arm went around her, pulling her close to him in an embrace.

There was a weird static-like surge that ran down her spine when he pulled her close, and for a moment there her body responded on autopilot as she tried to jerk away. But all he had to do was wrap his other arm around her, and her mind went kind of cloudy. There were times when she actually wondered if he had Narumi-sense's alice stone, and she wondered about that now. They stayed like that for a moment, and she could hear his heart beating against his chest; subconsciously, she wondered if he could feel hers too.

Ruka thought about how painful the Baka gun would be after this, but that thought left him as soon as it came as he buried his face in her hair. He wanted to convince her, to at least try to make her believe it if that's the only thing he could get from falling in love with the Ice Queen. But then even as he searched for the reasons, or as he tried to recall the exact instance when he fell for her, he couldn't bring himself to pinpoint anything… So he sighed, instinctively bringing her closer to him, if that's even possible, and felt like this was the only thing he could do for now. "I love you."

There was a short pause, and he heard her as she let out a quiet breath, unconsciously burying her face in his chest as he continued, "Y-you don't have to say anything, just…" He sighed. "You don't have to love me back—"

"Why do you keep on saying that?"

For a moment there he couldn't find his tongue. "I—"

"Stop saying that." She said when he didn't reply. "You know better than telling me what to do."

The blond Alice gently pulled back, a nagging thought at the back of his head. With his arms still around her, he stared at the Ice Queen.

She blinked; her face unbelievably calm as she stared him down. "I'm in love with you too."

And that's when he heard the fireworks… well, not really, but still.

Ruka Nogi opened his mouth, and then closed it again, his face showing confusion and a thousand of jumbled words and questions.

"You were stupid enough to walk away last night." She said, answering his unspoken question. "Without letting me talk."

He shook his head. "I…I'm…"

"You're an idiot." She finished. He nodded, simply not knowing what to say. After a moment of staring, Hotaru Imai felt the first wave of giddiness as her lips tugged into a knowing smirk, feeling the tension subsiding. "You just hugged me." She said. "I'll torture you afterwards, so you can thank me for the bracelet later."

And with that, she closed the gap between them. When she kissed him…he was, well, more than just surprised. But for some reason, it was all they need to cut off a long conversation short.

He'd imagined his first kiss to be…well, pretty much like this. But it never occurred to him that it'd be with no less than the Ice Queen herself. Thinking about it, it brought a ghost of smile to his lips as he kissed her back. He had no idea how long it lasted, nor did he care so much. If not only for the natural need to pull away for air, he doubted the kiss would've ended sooner than it did.

He had to admit, even in this wonderful moment he wondered what would happen. He knew she'd be busy after the ceremony, and they would barely have time to talk afterwards. How would they part? How could they reunite? Will they see each other again? Would all this end with the graduation, or would they stay together? Will this be the last shot?

Neither of them had the answers, and he wasn't ready for anything negative. But when they both pulled away for air and found themselves staring at each other's flushed faces, a small understanding swept over them. There was a _lot_ to talk about, a _lot _to catch up with. Suddenly, the whole senior year wasn't long enough. But on the brighter side, they still had months before college; a lot more time left; and most especially, a lot more Saturdays for them to spend.

* * *

><p>AN: THere! If you're reading this now, then I'd like to thank you again for the time, the effort, and the support for reading the story! It won't hurt to leave a review, though. lol. THANKS! :D


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